National park · Fayetteville, WV
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
We have not read New River Gorge National Park & Preserve's rig limits, dump stations or season on its own pages yet — check them on the official site below before you go.
Going to New River Gorge National Park & Preserve? Tell us the nights.
One email when a West Virginia owner lists a rig for those nights.
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve questions
- What length RV fits New River Gorge National Park & Preserve?
- New River Gorge National Park & Preserve's own pages gave no length limit we could read on Sep 24, 2026. Check the official park site before you go.
- Is there a dump station at New River Gorge National Park & Preserve?
- New River Gorge National Park & Preserve's own pages gave no dump-station detail we could read on Sep 24, 2026. Check the official park site before you go.
- Can I run a generator at New River Gorge National Park & Preserve?
- Our record: Generators discouraged in primitive campgrounds.
- When is the camping season at New River Gorge National Park & Preserve?
- New River Gorge National Park & Preserve's own pages gave no season we could read on Sep 24, 2026. Check the official park site before you go.
PickRV
Published by PickRV
Official park page confirmed live on July 25, 2026.
More on New River Gorge National Park & PreserveField notes, rig limits by loop, seasons, what to do, quiet spots
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve protects 70,000+ acres along a 53-mile stretch of the New River in southern West Virginia, anchored by the iconic 3,030-foot New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville. Despite the 'national park' label earned in December 2020, this is a working canyon, not a resort: the four drive-in campgrounds that take RVs — Army Camp, Grandview Sandbar, Glade Creek (all 31ft), and War Ridge/Backus Mountain (25ft) — are completely primitive, free, and first-come-first-served, with no reservations accepted for individual sites. The Canyon Rim Visitor Center off US-19 just north of Fayetteville is the main gateway, with rim overlooks of the bridge an easy walk from the lot. Record 1.8 million visitors came in 2024.
The notes below are PickRV's editorial record. None of their figures has been re-read on the park's own pages yet.
What the official site doesn't tell you
PickRV editor's field notes
NPS.gov publishes the per-campground length limits but soft-pedals the real RV trap: there is NOT a single hookup — no electric, no water, no sewer — at any park campground, AND there is no dump station or potable-water fill inside the entire park. A big rig has to arrive with a full fresh tank and empty holding tanks, then dump on the way out at Babcock State Park or the private Adventures on the Gorge station (~1.5mi from Canyon Rim VC). Second: the park's 'small/medium/large' RV tiers matter more than the posted feet — a 'medium' rig under 31.5ft is fine at four campgrounds, but a true large Class A is flat-out 'not recommended at any campsite' because the riverside access roads are steep, winding, one-lane in places, and short on turnarounds. Third: do NOT trust GPS down to Fayette Station Road, Nuttallburg, Thurmond, or Sandstone Falls in anything bigger than a small rig — the 12ft height bridge and one-lane historic bridges will trap you. Fourth: because every site is first-come-first-served with no reservations, summer weekends and the third weekend of October fill early; stage from a full-hookup park near Fayetteville and day-trip the gorge instead.
Rig limits by loop and road
Length + clearance
- ·Park-wide, our record: 31 ft
- ·Army Camp Campground: 31 ft — Drive-in riverside primitive sites — 31ft RV/trailer max, no hookups, free, first-come-first-served
- ·Grandview Sandbar Campground: 31 ft — 31ft RV/trailer max; primitive, free, FCFS; access road descends to the river — slow and winding
- ·Glade Creek Campground: 31 ft — 31ft RV/trailer max; primitive, free, FCFS; remote gravel approach road
- ·War Ridge / Backus Mountain Campground: 25 ft — Tightest in the park: 25ft RV/trailer cap; primitive, free, FCFS
- ·Gauley Tailwaters Campground (adjacent Gauley River NRA): 25 ft — 25ft RV/trailer max; primitive, no hookups — useful overflow during Gauley dam-release season
- ·Fayette Station Road: any RV over 12ft in height is prohibited due to a low-clearance bridge, and medium-to-large RVs are not recommended because of sharp curves and steep grade
- ·Keeney's Creek Road to Nuttallburg: narrow, one-lane, partly unpaved — not recommended for any RV of any size
- ·Thurmond: RVs of any size should not drive across the one-lane bridge into the historic town; small rigs can park across the river instead
- ·Sandstone Falls road: only small RVs (under 25ft) recommended; the access lane is narrow
Dump + generator
- ·Dump station: none inside the park — plan for the nearest off-park one
- ·Generators: Generators discouraged in primitive campgrounds; keep to daylight and observe posted quiet hours — confirm current rules with rangers
Boondock alternative within In-park primitive sites are the de-facto free option; full-hookup RV parks (Rifrafters ~2mi, The Outpost, Happy Camper) cluster around Fayetteville/Lansing
Dispersed sites on nearby Monongahela National Forest and WV state-forest land; in-park camping itself is free at the primitive drive-in sites
Seasons and closures
Full season: April - October (warm weather, all campgrounds and scenic roads open, peak whitewater + the one-day bridge closure in mid-October)
Limited access: November - March: park stays open but ice and snow can close steep secondary roads with little notice; primitive campgrounds have limited/no restroom service
Known closures:
- ·New River Gorge Bridge closes to vehicle traffic on the third Saturday in October for BASE-jumping/rappelling — US-19 traffic is heavily congested that day
- ·Fayette Station Road and other steep secondary roads close intermittently in winter for ice/snow; call the park before routing a rig down to the river
- ·Fayette Station Road periodically closed for repaving/bridge work — verify current status on the NPS Alerts & Conditions page before driving it
What to do at New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
- New River Gorge Bridge & Canyon Rim overlooks
- Longest single-span arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere; rim overlooks are a short walk from the Canyon Rim VC lot, which has dedicated RV parking for all sizes
- Endless Wall Trail
- ~2.4mi cliff-edge hike to Diamond Point with gorge + bridge views; park your rig at the Fern Creek trailhead lot (cars/small rigs) and walk — not a drive-in overlook
- Long Point Trail
- ~3mi round-trip to a rocky point facing the bridge head-on; trailhead lot is small — arrive early or use a tow vehicle, not the motorhome
- US-19 bridge closure (third Saturday in October)
- The New River Gorge Bridge closes to traffic for BASE jumps and rappelling — US-19 jams, so stage early and expect crowds
Hidden — not on the official map
PickRV editor's quiet spots
Sandstone Falls (south end)
Widest waterfall on the New River, viewed from boardwalks; only small RVs under 25ft on the narrow access lane, so unhitch and drive a toad
Grandview Rim Trail
Easy clifftop walk with a 1,400ft-deep horseshoe-bend view; far quieter than the bridge overlooks, with a paved lot that fits most rigs
West Virginia scenery around New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
Landscapes from around West Virginia — the country you cross on a New River Gorge National Park & Preserve RV trip.
Weather, air, sky and park alerts right nowLive for New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Open-Meteo, sunrise-sunset.org, National Park Service alerts.
Will my rig fit? Try your lengthChecks a length against the park caps in our record.
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Browse West Virginia rigsThis guide is provided for general informational purposes only. PickRV is not an insurer, legal advisor, or vehicle-safety authority. Trip planning, route selection, rig suitability, weather, and emergency decisions are the renter's responsibility. Always consult the rig manufacturer's owner's manual, your insurance provider, the U.S. National Park Service (nps.gov), NOAA / NWS weather alerts (weather.gov), state and local emergency-management agencies, and current local regulations before and during travel. Cost figures, season windows, road conditions, and fee references on this page are estimates as of May 2026 and vary by season, location, rig, carrier, and operator. Mentions of brand names, state-tourism marks, national-park feature names, or third-party programs are informational only and do not imply affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement.
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Per-state legal callout · WV
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WV DMV · verified 2026-08-02
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