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Offered languages
- English
Discover the heart of Appalachia with this self-guided tour of the stunning New River Gorge National Park! Check out the world-famous, record-smashing New River Gorge Bridge. Learn about the West Virginia mine wars. And get to know a few of the park’s most iconic critters, from the hellbender to the black bear! Each stop provides gorgeous views, unforgettable experiences, and narratives that will have you on the edge of your seat!
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!
After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point.
New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Begin from Canyon Rim Visitor Center, 162 Visitor Center Rd, Lansing. After booking the tour, search your emails and texts for "audio tour". Your tour is VALID FOREVER, so follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.
Itinerary
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1
Coming up in about half a mile is the Kaymoor Trail, a daunting 16-mile trail that runs alongside the gorge. But this trail isn’t just for hardcore hikers! Just 500 feet down the trail sits Wolf Creek Falls, tumbling beautifully down a series of rapids. Note: The tour is over 62+ miles long, with more than 69 audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Fayetteville
If the name sounds a little familiar, it should. Fayetteville gets its name from the Marquis de Lafayette! That was the young Frenchman who became an essential advisor and general to George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
Canyon Rim Visitor Center (Pass by)
Welcome to New River Gorge National Park! From the lofty heights of its iconic bridge to the dark depths of its famous coal mines, this brand-new National Park is truly unlike anywhere else in America.
Admission ticket free -
Tunney Hunsaker Bridge (Pass by)
It’s named for Tunney Hunsaker, a police chief from Fayetteville. Hunsaker is best known for another feat: He was Muhammad Ali’s first professional opponent! As you might imagine, Hunsaker lost the fight. Still, he didn’t make it easy for Ali.
Admission ticket free -
3
From this viewpoint, we can look out over a dramatic horseshoe-shaped bend in the New River. The detour takes us a little off the beaten path, but this is one of the most iconic views in New River Gorge.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Oak Hill
In 1952, on the final night of the year, a snowstorm swept across the South. Williams found himself stuck in Montgomery, Alabama, where he hired a college student named Charlie Carr to drive him all the way to Ohio.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5
We’re approaching Dunloup Creek Falls. Here, Dunloup Creek intersects with the New River, where it falls 20 feet down a stunning sandstone shelf.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Mount Hope
Like most towns in this area of West Virginia, Mount Hope’s story begins with the discovery of coal. In the late 1800s, miners found coal at nearby Turkey Knob. It was only a matter of time before the streets of Mount Hope were teeming with industrious miners and their families.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7
We’re about to cross the Thomas Burford Pugh Bridge, which crosses the New River at the tiny town of Prince. Although we’ll drive over the bridge for free today, this wasn’t always the case. Back in the 1930s, each driver would have to pay a hefty fee of… 25 cents! Hey, that was a lot of money during the Great Depression!
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8
At one time, nearly 500 people lived in Quinnimont. Almost everyone had some connection to the nearby mines.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
9
Up ahead are the remnants of Layland, a former coal town. Keep an eye out on our left in just a moment for a collection of abandoned coal company houses. These broken-down buildings were owned by the local mining company, who rented the homes to their impoverished workers.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
10Meadow Bridge
We’re now making our way through the small town of Meadow Bridge. While we’ve seen many coal towns today, this is our first real timber town. The nearby Meadow River Lumber Company once cut and sold millions of feet of lumber.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
11Sandstone Falls
Sandstone Falls are the largest series of falls on the entire New River! These falls formed over millennia, as the force of the New River eroded the soft rock beneath the layers of sandstone.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Check current park conditions and road closures before your visit.
- Bridge Day is held annually on the third Saturday of October. During the event, the New River Gorge Bridge on US-19 is closed to vehicle traffic, so plan for delays and detours.
- Plan ahead when travelling with an RV, as some park roads and areas may have vehicle restrictions.
- No entrance pass or entrance fee is required to visit New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
Additional info
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Check current park conditions and road closures before your visit.
- Bridge Day is held annually on the third Saturday of October. During the event, the New River Gorge Bridge on US-19 is closed to vehicle traffic, so plan for delays and detours.
- Plan ahead when travelling with an RV, as some park roads and areas may have vehicle restrictions.
- No entrance pass or entrance fee is required to visit New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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