Trail Offers View of Massive Bridge Over Gorge

West Virginia bridge is continent’s largest spanning steel arch

Day hikers can enjoy fantastic views of North America’s longest spanning steel arch bridge at New River Gorge National Park.

The 1.72-miles round trip Bridge Trail runs toward then under the New River Gorge Bridge at the West Virginia park. Even if you’ve never visited the national park, you’ve probably “seen” it – the bridge is on the West Virginia state quarter.

To reach the trailhead, from Fayetteville take U.S. Hwy 19 northeast. Turn left/northwest onto Hwy. 82/Fayette Station Road. A parking lot for the Bridge Trail Trailhead is on the right/east.

The trail heads straight east from the lot on a wide swath cut through the forest.

At 0.4 miles, the trail descends the gorge. A spur that remains above the rim runs southeast toward the highway before the bridge begins. It’s worth the walk, if you’ve got the time and energy, and only adds 0.4 miles to the hike.

Switchbacking down the gorge, the trail drops from about 1706 feet elevation to 1509 feet, almost 20 stories. It then heads under the bridge. The trail surface can be rocky on the gorge side. Once under the bridge, the trail flattens.

Opened in 1977, the bridge extends across the gorge and over the New River.  It covers a distance of 3,030 feet, 6 inches at a height of 876 feet. Its impressive arch is 1700 feet long.

The bridge features four vehicular lanes, a median with barrier, and two 8-foot wide shoulders.

No paint is used on the bridge. That’s because it’s made with a weathering steel whose chemical makeup resists corrosion.

A lot of steel was needed to make the bridge – 21,000 tons of structural and 1,700 tons of reinforcing steel. Add to that 17,000 cubic yards of substructure and 6,000 cubic yards of superstructure concrete, and the bridge weighs in at 88 million pounds.

Thanks to the bridge, the drive across the gorge was cut from 45 minutes on a dangerous, winding road to less than a minute.

The bridge held the title of world’s longest steel arch bridge until 2003 when Shanghai’s Lupu Bridge opened in China.

Still, the bridge is the pride of the community. Every fall, the span is closed for Bridge Day, in which you can walk across it as well as the mile-long catwalk beneath it. Today, 80,000 spectators – including around 400 B.A.S.E. jumpers and 300 rappellers – attend the event.

Back on the trail, at  0.86 miles the path meets the looping Fayetteville Trail. This marks a good turnaround point, as there’s no more bridge to see by going forward – plus, you’ve still got to hoof it nearly 20 stories up the steep gorge.

The trail is not for young children or anyone afraid of heights.