Sandstone Falls - New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Sandstone Falls is the largest waterfall on the New River. Its two main falls span the river from bank to island to bank with a drop of ten to twenty-five feet. The crest of the river left falls is over 400 feet while the crest of the river left falls is about 800 feet. The falls are located a few miles north of Hinton, West Virginia in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. 

To reach the waterfall from the Sandstone Visitor Center at exit 139 on Interstate-64, head south on Meadow Creek Road 0.3 miles until it becomes WV-20. Continue south on WV-20 for 10.3 miles following the designated one-way Summers Street in Hinton before turning left onto 2nd Ave, driving two blocks, and turning right onto Temple Street. Once back on Temple Street, drive 0.3 miles south crossing the New River just south of the town. Once across the river, turn right onto Madams Creek Road/New River Road, also known as County Route 26. Continue north on New River Road for 8.3 miles to a parking area on the right for the Sandstone Falls day-use area. Gravel pull-in parking is provided for possibly three dozen vehicles. We visited in October 2021 and hiked the quarter-mile boardwalk, but did not hike the Island Loop Trail. 

Boardwalk trailhead

Information boards

Bridge over a man-made channel that once diverted water to a water-powered gristmill

The upstream end of the diversion

The river-left series of waterfalls

Another view

Continuing on the boardwalk

Waterfall visible through the fall foliage

Island Loop Trail trailhead

Bridge over a natural channel

A portion of the river-left falls and a natural channel

Calm water below the bridge

Access to the "beach"

Another opportunity to explore

View of part of the river-right falls from the boardwalk

Rapids just downstream from the river-right falls

Another view of the river-right falls

A closer view

A closer view of a different section of the falls

Another view of the rapids

A closer view

There is no entrance fee at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve website is https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm.

Brooks Falls - New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Brooks Falls is a river-wide waterfall on the New River in the southern part of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Reported variously to be four to ten feet high, it is about 700 feet wide. For kayakers, it is a Class III rapid.

To reach the waterfall from the Sandstone Visitor Center at exit 139 on Interstate-64, head south on Meadow Creek Road 0.3 miles until it becomes WV-20. Continue south on WV-20 for 10.3 miles following the designated one-way Summers Street in Hinton before turning left onto 2nd Ave, driving two blocks, and turning right onto Temple Street. Once back on Temple Street, drive 0.3 miles south crossing the New River just south of the town. Once across the river, turn right onto Madams Creek Road/New River Road, also known as County Route 26. Continue north on New River Road for four miles to Brooks Falls Roadside Park. Very limited parallel parking is available at the falls. We visited in October 2021.

The deepest drop appears to be near the west bank

Fall colors above Brooks Falls

There is no entrance fee at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve website is https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm.

Brooks Overlook - New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Five miles south of the Sandstone Visitor Center on WV-20 is the Brooks Overlook of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Located nearly 500 feet above the river, the overlook is just a wide spot in the road long enough for about four or five vehicles to parallel park.

A riverside farm

View southeast toward Brooks and Barksdale

Muted fall colors

Brooks Island

Bumblebee (Bombus) pollinating a Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

 New River

There is no entrance fee at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve website is https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm.

Sandstone Falls Overlook - New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Continuing our October 2021 visit to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, we drove 3.1 miles south of the Sandstone Visitor Center on County Road 7 and WV-20 to the Sandstone Falls Overlook. A gravel parking area on the right side of the road has room for at least five and possibly ten vehicles. A short path leads down to a stacked-stone retaining wall with views of Sandstone Falls on the New River. A couple of picnic tables and a possibly seasonally open pit-toilet complete the facilities.

Ramp passes the toilet building

Stone retaining wall

New River

Sandstone Falls

A closer view

Sullivan Knob looms over the river

Another view of Sandstone Falls

There is no entrance fee at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve website is https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm.

Sandstone Visitor Center - New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Following the fall colors south from our visit to Cape Cod, we stopped at what is, as of this writing, America's newest national park, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. As is our custom, our first stop was at a visitor center. The Sandstone Visitor Center is open daily from April 1 through October 31 and on weekends from November through March. Hours of operation are 9 AM to 5 PM. 

The visitor center is located immediately north of the Interstate 64 interchange with County Route 7 at exit 139. For eastbound motorists on I-64, turn right at the end of the exit ramp and drive 0.3 miles, passing under the Interstate, to the visitor center driveway on the right. For westbound motorists on I-64, turn right at the end of the exit ramp and drive 0.1 miles to the visitor center driveway on the right. Paved parking at the visitor center includes three handicap-accessible spots, two or more RV/bus spots, and more than 50 spots for standard automobiles.

Opened in 2003, the visitor center has most of the usual amenities, including an information desk, exhibits about the park, restrooms in an adjacent building, and a theater for watching a 12-minute video. However, the COVID-19 protocols then in place meant that the theater was closed during our October 2021 visit.

Red maple tree at the end of the visitor center

Native grasses

Visitor Center entrance

Geology exhibits

Information desk

Floor map

Tactile exhibits

More exhibits

One section of the bookstore

Another section of the bookstore

There is no entrance fee at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve website is https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm.