An Epic Family RV Trip to New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia with Allie Kreuz

Since 2020, New River Gorge has held the title of the nation’s newest national park. Travelers are just discovering the magic of this fantastic slice of West Virginia. If you’re planning an epic family RV trip to New River Gorge National Park, we have a special guest here to help you decide where to stay and what to do. There’s so much more to this region than its iconic bridge.

Allie Kreuz is a special member of our RV Atlas Facebook group who has been so helpful in sharing tips and advice with our community, so when she reached out to share all of her trip details for New River Gorge National Park, we were excited to welcome her on the show. We last talked about New River Gorge in 2021, so it was time for an update. Allie has such great recommendations!

Allie traveled to New River Gorge with her husband and three girls who camp in their Jayco 224BH. Their family likes to visit national parks, especially ones that are pretty easy to reach from the Midwest. Allie is going to tell us about two campgrounds, Adventures on the Gorge and Battle Run COE Campground. Plus, she has some great tips for what to do and where to eat during your stay.

Allie shares a lot of great tips for planning a trip New River Gorge National Park adventures on the podcast! Check it out by clicking play on the media player above, or look for The RV Atlas wherever you find your podcasts. Thanks to Allie for providing photos for this post!

Adventures on the Gorge Resort

Adventures on the Gorge comes highly recommended as a base camp for visiting New River Gorge National Park. Allie describes it as the perfect blend of a beautiful state park combined with a resort with great amenities. We all know how hard it is to find this combo!

One tip Allie shared is that the gravel sites are not super level, like you might find at state parks, so take your levelers, especially if you have a longer rig. The campsites are not huge but they are wooded, giving them some privacy. You just might have a perfect spot to hang a hammock since the sites are all tucked into the trees. If you don’t have an RV, you will also find a large variety of cabins, as well as tent spots. Everything has a woodsy vibe that Allie describes as being like a “90s summer camp.”

The pool rivals what you might find at resorts like Margaritaville at Pigeon Forge. with multiple areas for both kids and adults. But, the best part is that the pool deck has gorgeous views of the New River Gorge. There’s a sunbathing deck that has better views than the park’s visitor center. We all love when you can take the kids to a national park for outdoor adventures by day and then return to the campground for their fun and relaxation n the evening.

Allie also gives a special shoutout to the food onsite at Adventures on the Gorge. Not only was it convenient, it was actually good! The park has multiple dining spots, including a pub, restaurants, and a poolside snack bar. The virgin piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris were a huge hit with her girls, who might come to expect this at every campground. Even if you aren’t staying at the campground, Allie recommends coming for a meal.

Also, you don’t have to leave the campground to truly experience the beauty of the New River Gorge. The pool isn’t the only spot to take in views. You’ll also find walking trails, scenic overlooks, and restaurants with a view. This is such a unique amenity to find in the campground and really adds to the experience!

Planning an RV Trip to New River Gorge National Park

Allie recommends starting your trip at a visitor center. The rangers can give you great trail recommendations, you can pick up your junior ranger booklets, and you can learn all about the park. There’s a great observation deck right at the visitor center. Plus, you can pick up all your merch and maps.

Inside the park, Allie recommends Stone Cliff Trail for a fun hike (it’s more of a walk). This 2.7-mile trail follows an old road along the New River, so along your walk, you will see the rafters going by. It’s a fun way to get excited about a rafting trip. Plus, you can take a break and put your feet in the water.

For a more adventurous hike, check out the Bridge Trail, which is more strenuous since it takes you to the bridge itself for up-close views. You really get a sense of the size of the bridge as you get close to it. This one includes some fun rock scrambles.

Did you know New River Gorge National Park has a ghost town? You can tour the town of Thurmond. It has a visitor center inside an old train station. This was a bustling coal town in the early 1900s, but now, it has a population of two. You will have to drive there, but the drive itself is also fun, as it takes you over a one-lane bridge. You can peek in the windows of the downtown buildings and imagine what life was like a century ago.

Rafting in the New River Gorge

While the park is known for its views from above, one of the best ways to experience the park is in the deep river valley with a rafting trip. Allie recommends doing your visit in the summer, so you can get the full rafting experience. You can find whitewater options for more the more adventurous and calmer sections for rafting with kids and others who may want a calmer experience. Allie booked her rafting trip directly through Adventures on the Gorge. They could walk to the meeting spot right from their campsite, which was a major benefit. If you want to plan your own epic family RV trip to New River Gorge in West Virginia–consider rafting a must!

Allie’s family thoroughly loved the rafting trip, from the bus ride to the rapids! Though she was initially nervous, the trip was calm enough to relieve those nerves but fun enough to be an adventure. She does recommend taking dramamine if you get motion sickness. After having a taste of tackling the rapids, her family hopes to return someday to do the Lower New River for bigger rapids!

Allie booked a rafting trip that included lunch, and she was surprised by how good the spread was. Plus, at the end of the day, you can join the group to watch a video replay of your adventures. She thoroughly recommends Adventures on the Gorge for planning your raft trip.

Allie shares a lot more great tips for planning your rafting trip on the podcast! Check it out by clicking play on the media player above, or look for The RV Atlas wherever you find your podcasts.

Summersville Lake

You could use Summersville Lake as a base camp for your visit to New River Gorge, or you can make it a day trip. Either way, it’s another great place to enjoy the landscapes of West Virginia. This is a 300-foot-deep crystal clear lake surrounded by sandstone cliffs. While you can stay busy exploring New River Gorge, Summersville Lake adds that relaxing summer element, where you can hang out in hammocks and enjoy the views and activities.

On the lake, you can go paddling or boating. It’s a great spot for swimming, scuba diving, and even rock climbing (with fun drops into the lake). While Allie didn’t rent a boat this time, if she would return, she absolutely would do so on the next time to explore more of the 3,000-acre lake. There’s also newer state park right on the lake, which offers camping, hiking, and other activities.

Battle Run Corps of Engineers Campground

If you want to stay on Summersville Lake, Battle Run is a great Corps of Engineers campground. Allie gives two excellent tips for staying here:

• It’s hard to get a reservation, so consider setting up a cancellation alert in Reserve America if you miss out on booking a spot. Allie booked a last-minute stay at a gorgeous waterfront site.
• Make sure to note dogs are NOT allowed in the campground, which is kind of rare.

As awesome as Adventures on the Gorge was, Battle Run was just as awesome in its own way. Allie recommends pairing the two parks for your stay. Doing Adventures on the Gorge first gets the excitement of rafting checked off the list, allowing your family to really relax by ending your RV trip to New River Gorge National Park at Battle Run.

This park has 110 campsites, many are waterfront and electric only. Not only was the campground beautiful, it provides great access to the waters. Allie’s family had fun exploring an island just offshore. You can kayak and swim right from your campsites. The park has a terrific newly updated playground, as well as a fishing dock and boat launch.

Final Thoughts on this RV trip to New River Gorge National Park

We can’t wrap up this great post about planning a trip to New River Gorge without talking food. Allie recommends Pies and Pints. Fayetteville, West Virginia, is home to the original location of what has now become a small chain. Allie says it’s some of the best specialty pizza she’s ever had! Not only are the pies and pints truly great, the atmosphere is the perfect place to relax, with indoor and outdoor seating and a playground.

We want to thank Allie for sharing all of these great recommendations with us! She’s already considering a return trip since New River Gorge truly stole their hearts. If you’re planning an epic family RV trip to New River Gorge National Park, you have everything you need right here to start your reservations and itinerary!

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