Rest Day Tick List

Sure, you’ve climbed until your fingers are numb. Hiked to every waterfall. Surfed Brain Wave until the moon rises. Cycled every inch of the Gorge ridgelines. But wait: You’re not done yet.

You’ve been at the New River Gorge for days. You’re hot, sweaty, tired, bug-bit and ready for a break.  In short, you have been doing what you came here to do, which is find all the adventure the Gorge has to offer.  My advice: Take a break. Slow it down and take a rest day.  Continue to explore, but in a slower, more reflective mode. There are some amazing things to see and do without breaking a sweat. Herewith, my list to help you relax. Take your pick:

1. Spotting Bald Eagles at Sandstone Falls

The quintessential American symbol loves the Gorge, too.  In the winter of 2009 a breeding pair of bald eagles built a nest in a big sycamore tree five miles south of the Sandstone Visitor Center.  Their home seems to agree with them because they have raised two batches of eaglets. They are frequently spotted from the Brooks overlook on Route 20.
How to Get There:  Take U.S. Route 19 South to Beckley, then I-64 East to Exit 139 to Route 20 South. Stop in at the Sandstone Visitor Center (304-466-0417) before continuing south past Sandstone Falls overlook to the Brooks Overlook, about 5 miles.

2. Wave at Trains in Thurmond

Follow a lush and scenic winding road down to this historic coal town on the banks of the New River.  Thurmond, the busiest coal town in the Gorge at the turn of the century, features a terrific National Park Service Visitor Center located in the restored train station (Open 10-5 daily). Plan to hang out for a bit until one of many daily trains rolls through.  If you are lucky, it will make a good old-fashioned whistle stop. Vigorous waving is guaranteed to get you more of the same; engineers always wave back.  In his memorable film Matewan director John Sayles chose Thurmond as the setting for this compelling look at the early days of the effort to unionize coal mining. Bonus points:  watch it when you get home.
How to Get There:  From the Bridge, take U.S. 19 South to Glen Jean, then follow the signs to Thurmond, East on County Road 25.

3. Body Surf Fayette Station

I float on my back, letting the current carry me up to the top of the eddy where I flip over on my belly, tug my life jacket tighter and ferry out into the powerful current of Fayette Station rapid, the last big hit on the lower New River.  My elegant plan is to ferry across the current and slide into another eddy.  Right.  Instead I take a big face shot, get sucked downstream, tossed about and spat out at the bottom.  Epic fail?  Epic fun.
How to Get There:  Take U.S. 19 over the Bridge. Take first right; go past the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. The road winds down to the banks of the New River. Cross the small bridge and make your way to Fayette Station.

4. String a Hammock

The definitive rest day experience gets even better when you hike out the Endless Wall Trail to the rim of the Gorge with your thermos of iced coffee and a copy of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.  String your hammock between two rim-side trees, climb in, stretch out, and don’t move for hours.  No hammock?  Water Stone Outdoors in Fayetteville will sell you one. (Full disclosure: I’m co-owner.)
How to Get There: National Park Service Trail maps are available at Canyon Rim Visitor Center just north of the Bridge on U.S. 19.

5. Barrel Rolls over the Bridge

No one says your rest day can’t include a little adrenaline rush, so head to the Fayetteville Airport for an aerial tour of the Gorge in a 1940 Stearman Biplane where you will discover how this area is essentially an endless green carpet; how the Endless Wall climbing area lives up to its name; how the Bridge and the Gorge complement and enhance each other to create a truly sublime partnership.  Ramp up your sightseeing with some aerobatics.  Barrel rolls, stalls and loop-de-loops will probably wrench your attention away from the sights, but who cares?
How to Get There:  From the Bridge, take U.S. 19 South to Hinkle Road. Look for the signs on the left for Wild Blue Adventure Company (304-574-1150).

6. Strike a Pose With a View

Early Sunday mornings on the rim of the Gorge, a large deck shaded with oak trees is the site of Yoga on the Gorge, where Kim Maxwell will lead you through an hour of vinyasa flow yoga with her uncanny ability to motivate, soothe, inspire and crack the whip.  Lose focus in your third eye and the chirping birds and gentle breezes will bring you back. Your only job is to relax, breathe and bliss out.
How to Get There:  From U.S. 19 north of the bridge take Ames Heights Road. Follow the signs to Adventures on the Gorge and Class VI. The deck is just past Smokies restaurant. Look for schedule updates at Kula Yoga Studio in Fayetteville.

7. Drop a Line in the Water

We have world class climbing, paddling, and birding here in the New River Gorge area.  Add to that world class smallmouth bass fishing—Bassmasters Magazine rated the New as the #1 smallmouth fishery in the country.  Grab your gear and explore the Dries, the scenic section of the New River below Cotton Hill Dam—park in any pull off below Cotton Hill Bridge and walk down the river-polished sandstone shelves until you find your spot.  Local fishing guide Robert Seay says to fish in the current using tubes, grubs or flukes.
How to Get There: From U.S. 19, take Route 16 North. Cotton Hill Dam is about 6 miles down this scenic road.

8.    Get a Better Look at the Bridge

If you live around here, it is conceivable that you could overdose on the Bridge.  It is on the WV quarter.  It is part of every logo, ad, or calendar produced. It is everywhere.  But after contemplating it for over 20 years I am not one bit sick of it. In fact, I can’t get enough of the singular jolt I get every time I see it. Spend the afternoon exploring the exploding geometry of the bridge from a variety of vantage points.  Start at the NPS Canyon Rim Visitor Center overlook for the standard postcard look, then drive down Fayette Station road until you are directly under the bridge for the stunning oblique angle. Finally, savor the view from the old Fayette Station bridge at the bottom of the Gorge. For the mac daddy Bridge experience take a tour with Bridgewalk out on the airy catwalk.  You’ll be all up in it then and glad you are clipped in.