For those of you who enjoy taking in the scenery from the comfort of a vehicle, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia offers two scenic drives, both of which present a trip back through history.
Fayette Station Road
Before the New River Gorge Bridge spanned the New River for easy crossing from one side of the gorge to the other, there was the Fayette Station Road. This eight-mile-long (12.9 kilometers) 100-year-old one-way road descends from Fayetteville to the gorge bottom, across a narrow bridge, and back up to the top. Along the way, you will see hardwood forests and what remains of communities within the area.
Before either Fayette Station Road or the C&O Railroad existed, there was the Townsend’s Ferry. This important crossing existed from colonial times through and beyond the Civil War. Once the railroad came through in 1873 people arriving on the C&O Railroad were required to take an hour-long wagon ride up an old road to Fayetteville at the top of the gorge.
At the time of the building and completion of the C&O Railroad, the small towns of Fayette and South Fayette sprang up along the gorge bottom. These towns centered around coal mining and built themselves up – particularly Fayette – with a saloon, a company store, a three-story Blume Store, and a garage for parking cars while area residents traveling by train.
Traffic increased and necessitated the building of a new road to replace the old wagon road. Beginning in 1911 using convict labor, what is now known as Fayette Station Road was finished in 1912 and provided a newer route from Fayetteville to Fayette and across the northern end of the New River Gorge. Fayette Station Road remained the main route until construction of the New River Gorge Bridge was completed in 1977.
According to Park Staff:
Fayette Station Road is an 8-mile, one-way road. It takes about 30 - 45 minutes to complete the tour. There are several pullouts along the way to admire the views of the New River Gorge and the New River Gorge Bridge. Wayside exhibits tell the story of the area. A parking lot at the bottom gives access to the New River and more views of the gorge and bridge. Remnants of the towns of Fayette and South Fayette are visible near the lower bridge. Three trails start from Fayette Station Road - the Kaymoor Trail, Fayetteville Trail, and Bridge Trail.
Driving Advisory: Due to a low clearance railroad bridge, vehicles over 12 feet in height cannot complete the tour. Trailers may have difficulty crossing the railroad tracks and navigating hairpin curves. Large vehicles, RVs, and trailers are not recommended. Ask a ranger at the visitor center desk if you are unsure if your vehicle can drive Fayette Station Road.
Directions
Leaving the parking lot of Canyon Rim Visitor Center, take a left to return back to US-19. Turn right to go north on US-19. Continue for 0.3 miles and take the next right onto Lansing-Edmond Road/Truck 82. In 0.4 miles, turn right at the brown park sign for Fayette Station Road. Bear left and uphill at the fork to continue onto Fayette Station Road. The road will become a one-way road.
Fayette Station Road continues down the side of the gorge to river level. It passes under the New River Gorge Bridge three times. At the bottom, cross over the reconstructed Fayette Station Bridge. This bridge reopened in 1998 as the Tunney Hunsaker Bridge. From river level, the road winds back up the side of the gorge. The road ends on US-19 near Fayetteville, only about 2 miles south of Canyon Rim Visitor Center.
You can download an audio tour of this scenic drive via the park’s website or the NPS Mobile App. Because cell service is spotty, it’s advisable to download the audio tour to your phone prior to navigating the road.
African American Heritage Auto Tour
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the region around New River Gorge, including the area surrounded by park borders was shaped by Black coal miners, railroad workers, church and other community members, all seeking better economic opportunities and better education while escaping the “segregation and violence of the Jim Crow South,” according to the National Park Service.
Rapid industrialization around southern West Virginia called for an increased labor force – particularly for coal mining and railroad work, and African Americans answered that call. Here in West Virginia, Black people could exercise their right to vote. Black families could send their children to better educational facilities, and many founded their own communities such as Harlem Heights in Oak Hill, West Virginia.
The rich history with its abundant stories of African Americans in this part of West Virginia is brought together with a self-guided auto tour downloadable from the NPS Mobile App. This tour takes the user to seventeen historic sites in Summers, Raleigh, Fayette and Nicholas counties and was made possible was made possible through a partnership with the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, The National Coal Heritage Area, the WV Humanities Council, The African American Heritage Family Tree Museum, DuBois on Main Museum, West Virginia State University, and Visit Southern West Virginia.
Below are the stops and their stories you’ll encounter during this auto tour.
1. Quinnimont Missionary Baptist Church
5. Hawks Nest Workers Memorial And Gravesite
6. Mt. Chapel Missionary Baptist Church
7. Gauley Depot, Gauley Bridge, West Virginia
8. Bright Hope Lodge #9, Montgomery, West Virginia
10. McKendree Miner’s Hospital
12. Slab Fork
15. John Henry Park, Talcott, West Virginia
- By Rebecca Latson - May 26th, 2026 11:53am
