New River Gorge National Park

The New River Gorge in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia was established as a national river in 1978 and later redesignated as a National Park in 2020. Among the oldest rivers on the continent, the New River flows through over 70,000 acres of land along its banks.

The gorge boasts a diverse array of unique geologic features and processes that showcase the geology of West Virginia. There are 1,000 feet of exposed sandstone and shale, and steep channel drop-offs. The river has exposed four seams of coal, considered among the world’s finest bituminous coal.

The smokeless bituminous coal played a pivotal role in the nation’s industrial landscape, powering the boilers of trains, factories, fleets, and power plants for decades. The park’s landscape is dotted with remnants of the former boomtown of Thurmond, including abandoned mines, ruined coke ovens, and town remnants, serving as a reminders of the region’s past.