New River Gorge Activities

Recognized as one of America’s coolest small towns and named “Best Adventure Town”, Fayetteville, West Virginia makes for the perfect winter weekend escape! Fayetteville, West Virginia is situated around the USA’s newest National Park – New River Gorge National Park & Preserve and there are so many epic things to do from mountain biking to hiking and walking over the iconic bridge to exploring the town’s culinary scene.

West Virginia is known as The Mountain State and it is a breath of fresh air featuring world-class outdoor adventure, welcoming mountain towns, rich Appalachian culture and cuisine and one-of-a-kind historic sites. The town of Fayetteville (located in Fayette County, WV) is minutes away from the best whitewater rafting sites, great hiking, epic bike trails, horseback riding centers and rock-climbing spots. It is also home to delicious eateries, unique shops and boutiques, art galleries, plus more!

During January 2022, my mom and I did a memorable winter weekend getaway in Fayetteville, West Virginia with West Virginia Tourism and Visit Fayetteville. We spent two nights in the charming and cozy Lafayette Flats that are located right in the heart of downtown Fayetteville and had fun adventuring in the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve.

Overall, if you’re wondering what is there to do in West Virginia, you will be amazed by all the memorable things to do. I believe it is America’s hidden gem! In this article, discover the top things to do during a winter weekend trip to Fayetteville, West Virginia.

**This blog post is sponsored by West Virginia Tourism.

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Traveling to Fayetteville, West Virginia:

The town of Fayetteville, West Virginia and the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve is the perfect location to stop at during a cross-country or East Coast road trip. It also makes for the perfect weekend and long weekend getaway from major East Coast and Mid-Atlantic cities.

Fayetteville, West Virginia is located around eight hours from the New York City area. My mom and I woke up early in the morning on a Friday and made it to Fayetteville in the afternoon. It was an easy drive. We took Route 287 South in New Jersey to I-78 West into Pennsylvania. From I-78 West, we got onto I-81 South, which is the main highway I used to take to go to college in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Instead, we got onto I-68 West in Maryland to West Virginia and then I-79 South to Route 19 into Fayetteville.

If you don’t have your own vehicle, it is recommended that you rent one to get around the area. The closest international airport to Fayetteville, WV is West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston. Other major international airports to fly out of are in Columbus, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which are over 200 miles away. You can find affordable flights through Skyscanner.

Staying at Lafayette Flats in West Virginia:

During my two nights in Fayetteville, West Virginia, I enjoyed staying at the charming and cozy Lafayette Flats in the downtown area. Located in a renovated historic building, Lafayette Flats includes four art-filled boutique vacation rental properties that are designed to serve as a home away from home for those visiting New River Gorge National Park & Preserve.

I love how each flat is thoughtfully curated to showcase many talented West Virginia artists. All the paintings and décor are colorful and beautiful to admire. There are also plenty of great spots to lounge at, relax and get work done.

The flat that my mom and I stayed in included a great kitchen and comforting living room, a gorgeous bathroom with a clawfoot tub and a spacious bedroom. I loved how there was a lot of natural light and big windows that overlooked the beautiful Fayetteville Court House!

Another reason why I loved staying at Lafayette Flats is because it was clean and there are a lot of great board games and books to keep yourself entertained during your stay. Plus, it is conveniently located to so many great restaurants, local shops, the town theater, museums and more. Lafayette Flats are also near many great outdoor activities and adventures.

Winter Weekend Itinerary for Fayetteville, West Virginia – Top Things to Do:

Friday: Arrive in West Virginia

Check into Lafayette Flats and Hike in New River Gorge National Park & Preserve:

When you first arrive in Fayetteville, West Virginia, I recommend first settling into Lafayette Flats. Since the flats are located near so many great hiking trails, I suggest doing one of the many awesome hikes they have to offer!

Below is a list of the different hiking trails the Fayetteville area has to offer within New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. This beautiful National Park received its designation in 2020 and is home to more than 70,000 acres of public land to be explored.

• Bridge Trail – A strenuous hike that is 1.72 miles round-trip and features views of the New River Gorge and the bridge.
• Burnwood Trail – An easy hike that is 1.2 miles round-trip that leads into an enchanting forest.
• Butcher Branch Trail – A moderate trail that is 1.6 miles round-trip. It connects to the Long Point Trail, which is what I did during my mountain biking adventure and it features a stream.
• Canyon Rim Boardwalk – An easy to strenuous 0.32 miles round-trip hike that features scenic views of the gorge and bridge.
• Craig Branch Trail – A 4.8-mile round-trip moderate hike that offers access to the historic Kaymoor coal mine site of West Virginia.
• Endless Wall Trail – A moderate, 4.8-mile round-trip hike that crosses Fern Creek and goes along the cliff edge.
• Fayetteville Trail – A 7.92-mile round-trip, strenuous hiking and biking trail that has many connections to different trails in New River Gorge National Park & Preserve.
• Kaymoor Trail – A 17.2-mile round-trip, moderate hike that also includes biking trails. It runs parallel with the middle of the gorge and passes the coal mine site.
• Long Point Trail – A moderate, 3.2-mile round-trip trail that ends with panoramic views of the gorge and New River Gorge Bridge. This trail also has a biking route too, which is where I did my mountain bike tour.
• Park Loop Trail – An easy, 1.1-mile round-trip hike and bike loop trail that begins at the Town Park in Fayetteville.
• Timber Ridge Trail – A 2-mile, easy round-trip trail that is great for hiking and biking and leads to the Wolf Creek.

No matter what hikes you choose to do in the National Park, I recommend that you download the AllTrails app when you have cell phone reception so that you can find the best trail and use it as a navigation.

Other awesome things to do in addition to hiking on your first day, depending on when you arrive, is to zipline or just simply stroll around downtown and visit some of the shops. Click here for a map of Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Located right next to Lafayette Flats is a charming mountain store and gift shop called Lost Appalachia Trading Company. What is cool about Lost Appalachia is that the owner creates all the designs on the apparel, coffee mugs, décor, etc. I bought a book called Tales from America’s National Parks – Campfire Stories. It was nice relaxing at Lafayette Flats after a long day and reading some of it.

Savor the Best BBQ in Fayetteville, West Virginia:

For dinner, my mom and I enjoyed a delicious barbecue meal at Firecreek BBQ & Steaks in Fayetteville. I don’t eat BBQ often, but when I do it’s usually on road trips and only at the most authentic local spots like Firecreek.

During our evening at Firecreek BBQ, my mom had a local red wine with French onion soup and the pulled pork platter with beans for dinner. I had a local craft beer with the pulled pork sandwich and sautéed mushrooms. Everything was delicious! We finished our meals by splitting the peanut butter pie, which was light and incredible!

Saturday: Enjoy the Unique Things to do in Fayetteville

Have Breakfast in a Former Fayetteville Church:

One of the best breakfast spots near Lafayette Flats in downtown Fayetteville is Cathedral Café. It is in a former church that was converted into an artsy and relaxed hangout spot for coffee and classic American food. Cathedral Café is also a bookstore and gift shop!

I love how charming and cozy Cathedral Café was! My mom and I had coffees with orange juice along with spinach, mushroom and artichoke heart frittatas.

Do the Bridge Walk over the New River Gorge Bridge:

One of the most thrilling things to do during a weekend in Fayetteville, West Virginia is a catwalk tour with Bridge Walk over the New River Gorge.

This epic and picturesque bridge is the longest steel arch bridge in the U.S. and it stands 876 feet tall, making it the third tallest bridge in the country. Every day, Bridge Walk provides guided tours on the New River Gorge Bridge from the catwalk, which is 25 feet beneath the bridge. Most tours are between two to three hours, depending on how far you walk down the bridge.

When you first arrive in the National Park, make sure to park your car at the Bridge Walk center and head inside to check in. Once we were inside, we were given our harnesses and our guide went over some quick instructions.

Afterwards, since it was snowy, we took a shuttle over to the Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center. From there, we took a short hike to the bridge.

Overall, the catwalk is 24 inches width wise and it includes a substantial railing. Before the tour begins, all guests are securely fastened onto the cable, so it is impossible to fall from the bridge.

Once you start walking out, you will realize how high you are on the bridge and the views are incredible! We saw the snow-covered Appalachian Mountains, the gorge itself and the river below. There are plenty of photo spots and you can take your phones and cameras with you.

My mom and I had a blast and what is awesome is that the only other place in the world to get this type of experience is over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia. (We were also given hot chocolate to warm up to at the end of our tour.)

In addition, New River Gorge Bridge boasts the annual Bridge Day every October where you can see numerous BASE jumpers jumping from the bridge into the gorge. It is also a day where local musicians come out to play and there is plenty of food and beer stands from local spots for bystanders to enjoy.

Have Fun Mountain Biking in West Virginia:

Another one of the best unique things to do in Fayetteville, West Virginia is to go mountain biking in New River Gorge National Park! I impressed myself during this fun mountain biking lesson and experience with Arrowhead Bike Farm.

When my mom and I first arrived at Arrowhead Bike Farm, we enjoyed a great lunch at The Handlebar + Kitchen. They are known for their craft beers and brats! For lunch, I had a beer with The Enduro sandwich, which was a bratwurst with grilled peppers and onions. It also comes with house-made curry ketchup. My mom had the grilled reuben sandwich with a beer as well. Everything was amazing and the German brats are great to fuel up before your bike ride!

After lunch, we received a lesson on how to navigate the trails on the bike and once you get comfortable, you’re ready to go! We did a few trail runs around Arrowhead Bike Farm before the journey led us onto the Long Point Trail in the New River Gorge National Park. My mom didn’t continue with us into the National Park.

Mountain biking was both fun and challenging, especially in the snow, but I was happy that I gained my confidence and was riding up and down small hills and inclines and over some rugged paths. It was such a blast, plus, there is nothing more rejuvenating than being in the woods in a winter wonderland!

At the end of the Long Point Trail, we hiked to the overlook that features breathtaking views of the New River Gorge Bridge. Overall, mountain biking is one of the most epic things to do in America’s newest National Park and it will leave you with lasting memories!

(Arrowhead Bike Farm is also a campsite in Fayetteville.)

Experience a Nice Dinner and Fun Night Out in Fayetteville WV:

Later in the evening, my mom and I enjoyed an unforgettable dinner at Wanderlust Creative Foods (also known as New River Curry House), which is right around the corner from Lafayette Flats in downtown Fayetteville.

If you’re wondering what’s in West Virginia, well, besides incredible nature and memorable adventures, there are also great eateries! Wanderlust Creative Foods features Southeast Asian cuisine and it was one of our favorite restaurants during our winter weekend getaway.

For dinner, my mom and I split the chicken tikka masala with basmati rice, the gambas and the naan bread dumplings that were stuffed with chicken and veggie curry filling. Everything was delicious!

After dinner, we went across the street and enjoyed live music with craft beer (from the nearby Freefolk Brewery) at Southside Junction Tap House. West Virginia is known for its beer culture, so if you love a great brew as much as I do, you cannot miss out on trying what’s on tap.

Sunday: Wrap Up Your Activities in WV

Enjoy Sunday Morning Yoga and Breakfast in Downtown Fayetteville:

On our last morning, my mom and I enjoyed a nice Sunday morning Vinyasa yoga class at New River Yoga Studio in downtown Fayetteville.

It had been a while since I last took a yoga class, so it felt amazing to do it during my weekend getaway in West Virginia. The Vinyasa yoga class was relaxing as well. If you’re looking for things to do in Fayetteville, West Virginia during a rainy day, I recommend taking a yoga class at New River Yoga Studio! They also offer other great yoga classes like Ashtanga, beginner’s yoga, outdoor yoga and more.

After our yoga class, my mom and I enjoyed a great breakfast at Wood Iron Eatery, which is located across the street from the studio in a white house on a hill.

For breakfast, we both had the waffle with coffee and orange juice along with candied bacon and everything was perfect for our ride back home.

(Other great eateries to check out in Fayetteville is Pies & Pints, The Station Market & Bistro and Raw & Juicy Juice Bar.)

I hope you all enjoyed discovering one of the best places to visit in West Virginia and reading about all the fun activities to do in Fayetteville during the winter. Visiting Fayetteville during the summer is also a great experience as it offers some of the best whitewater rafting adventures in the world! If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected]

Basic Facts of the United States:

Currency: United States Dollar, Capital: Washington D.C., WV State Capital: Charleston, Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time

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