Rolling Atlas

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Checked on Oct 16, 2026

Provisional guide: parking and staff help aren't verified yet. We'll update this guide as we confirm more.

At New River Gorge in southern West Virginia, "Canyon Rim and Sandstone Visitor Centers are fully accessible," and at Canyon Rim "An easy walk on an accessible ramp leads to the first viewing point" (NPS: New River Gorge accessibility, [Official], last updated Jan 12, 2024, checked Oct 16, 2026).

Call to confirm before you go: call Canyon Rim Visitor Center at (304) 574-2115 (NPS: New River Gorge contacts, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026). Ask about accessible parking at Canyon Rim and the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk, and whether any boardwalk sections are closed.

At a glance:
  • Accessible restrooms
  • Heads-up: steps and rough paths
  • Heads-up: other buildings

Plan your visit

  • Hours: "Canyon Rim Visitor Center is open daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's) from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM." Sandstone keeps the same hours; Thurmond Depot is "Closed November through May"; Grandview opens "Memorial Day through October from 12:00 Noon to 5:00 PM" (NPS: New River Gorge hours, [Official], last updated Oct 1, 2024, checked Oct 16, 2026).
  • Fees: "An entrance pass is not required to access New River Gorge National Park & Preserve" (NPS: New River Gorge fees, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).
  • Films: "All park films and video exhibits are presented with open captions at all times" (NPS: New River Gorge accessibility, [Official]).
  • Fishing: "There is a wheel chair accessible fishing area at the Glade Creek Campground" (same page).

Worth your time

Checked Oct 16, 2026.

Accessibility and ratings

See how we rate

Heads-up: steps and rough paths. At Canyon Rim, "the boardwalk to the lower overlook is not accessible as it descends 178 steps." "The Long Point overlook of the New River Gorge Bridge is not accessible." At Grandview, "the 500 yard path from the parking lot to the overlook consists of large, uneven stones" (NPS: New River Gorge accessibility, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).

Heads-up: other buildings. "Grandview Visitor Center has a wheelchair ramp but does not have automatic door openers. Thurmond Depot has a wheelchair ramp and an elevator to the upper floor, but it does not have automatic door openers" (NPS: New River Gorge accessibility, [Official], checked Oct 16, 2026).

Heads-up: other closures (checked Oct 17, 2026). The park lists a Burnwood restroom closure (Oct 5 to mid November), the Rend Trail closed through December 2027, and the upper Kaymoor Miners Trail closed Monday to Thursday (June 15 to November 19) (NPS: New River Gorge conditions, [Official]).

Wooden boardwalks: "Wooden boardwalks can be slippery when wet, especially under trees; this affects people walking (including with canes or walkers) more than people in wheelchairs or scooters." (Rolling Atlas team guidance.)

What we found

From official sources

From visitors

Details not published

  • Accessible parking at Canyon Rim and Sandstone Falls.
  • An access contact on the accessibility page.
  • Whether any boardwalk sections are closed now.

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Category Rating
Overall 4.5 of 5 · Very accessible
Average of the 3 rated categories (4.67, rounds to 5), capped at 4.5 because a category carries a Why. Parking and Staff & Info aren't verified.
Entry & Arrival 5 of 5 · Venue states accessible
Facility-published info states it is accessible; we have not personally verified this. "Canyon Rim and Sandstone Visitor Centers are fully accessible" (NPS: New River Gorge accessibility, [Official], last updated Jan 12, 2024). Scope: those two visitor centers. Review check Oct 17, 2026 (TripAdvisor, 60 reviews checked): no contradiction.
Getting Around / Paths 4 of 5 · Very accessible
Why: The boardwalks are hedged as "compatible with most mobility aids," and at Canyon Rim "the boardwalk to the lower overlook is not accessible as it descends 178 steps" (NPS: New River Gorge accessibility, [Official]).
"Canyon Rim Visitor Center and the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk have boardwalks to scenic overviews consisting of flat panels compatible with most mobility aids, including wheelchairs," and at Canyon Rim "An easy walk on an accessible ramp leads to the first viewing point" (NPS: New River Gorge accessibility, [Official]). Review check Oct 17, 2026 (TripAdvisor, 60 reviews checked): no contradiction. Not personally verified.
Restrooms 5 of 5 · Venue states accessible
Facility-published info states it is accessible; we have not personally verified this. "Canyon Rim and Sandstone Visitor Centers are fully accessible" (NPS: New River Gorge accessibility, [Official]) covers the restrooms inside those buildings. Review check Oct 17, 2026 (TripAdvisor, 60 reviews checked): no contradiction. No information we found contradicts accessibility.
Parking & Drop-off Not verified
Accessible parking isn't described.
Staff & Info Not verified
The accessibility page gives no phone or email; phones are on the contacts page only (NPS: New River Gorge contacts, [Official]).

Entry and Restrooms score 5: the Canyon Rim and Sandstone visitor centers are fully accessible. Paths is 4 because the park calls its boardwalks compatible with most mobility aids, and the Canyon Rim lower overlook is down 178 steps. Parking and Staff & Info aren't verified. Overall is 4.5.

Ratings tagged "not personally verified" rest on information the venue published or on trusted firsthand reports; we have not personally verified them.

Checked on Oct 16, 2026. Sources: NPS: New River Gorge accessibility, NPS: New River Gorge hours, NPS: New River Gorge fees, NPS: New River Gorge contacts and NPS: New River Gorge conditions (official); TripAdvisor review, Jun 17, 2023 and TripAdvisor review, Mar 5, 2025 (secondary); review check Oct 17, 2026, TripAdvisor (secondary)