The aspiring Park Junkie will want to have his or her hands on a number of New River Gorge facts that will be worthy of a mic drop when among friends on the trail in West Virginia. With this in mind, the following fun facts have been compiled to assure that you preserve your esteemed stature among your traveling companions.
Guide to New River Gorge
New River Gorge Fun Facts
fact 1: The New River is actually the Old River.
Yep, this river is old… Some even claim it to be the planet’s second oldest such body of water, but we just can’t quite validate that claim… However, we do know that the New is among the world’s oldest rivers, and is extremely unique in its route, which follows the ridgeline of an ancient mountain range.
Most rivers are born in the mountains, quickly flowing downward via the quickest and most direct route, due to the power of gravity. Not the case with the New River. This river actually runs northward, on the crest of the Appalachian Mountain Range, one of the Earth’s oldest mountain ranges.
Many scientists theorize that the New River is likely older than the Appalachians. It appears that the river may have simply risen upward with the mountain range, sort of cradled in the range’s bosom as the entire mass rose upward over the course of time.
Thus we can deduce that the New River predates the mountain range in which it flows, and given the ancient age of the Appalachian Mountains, we can qualify that the New may indeed predate every other mountain range presently found on Earth, and consequently, the rivers that flow from them.
fact 2: The New River Gorge Bridge is one of the most impressive bridges in the world & has held numerous world records.
Indeed it is… & has… This was the world’s longest single span bridge for its first 26 years, before some other bridge beat it out…
Nevertheless, this thing is massive. Completed in 1977, this steel arch bridge is 3,030 feet long, and has an arch that measures 1,700 feet in length. It rises 876 feet above the river below, making it the third highest bridge in the U.S. In fact, it held the record as the world’s highest vehicular bridge for 22 years, before it’s stature was once again surpassed by a younger, stronger bridge…
It still holds a place in the record books however, and a cool one at that… This baby is home to the largest extreme sports event in the world… Bridge Day.
The bridge enjoys the fame of this badass holiday all to itself, as supposedly rational human beings actually cast themselves asunder in its honor every third Saturday in October.
This bizarre custom began in 1980, and today, more than 400 jumpers annually take advantage of the Bridge Day festival. Spectators at this event watch daredevils leap from the bridge toward the river below, in the completely reasonable sport known as B.A.S.E. jumping. Although this sport is banned in national parks, tradition allows it here at the New, but only one day per year.
Over the years, only three people have died during this event. So who knows, the numbers may just be in your favor. Next year’s list has some openings.
fact 3: The ghost town of Thurmond was once one of the richest towns in West Virginia, and holds the record for hosting the world’s longest poker game.
Boy what a time that must have been… I imagine I would have a good old time if I had gotten off the train in Thurmond way back in the early 1900s… I may have even gotten in trouble… This place was off the chain…
You see, Thurmond was a major center of commerce along the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) that ran between Cincinatti, Ohio and Richmond, Virginia. This line carried major amounts of freight at the turn of the 20th century, and Thurmond accounted for more annual shipping tonnage than Cincy & Richmond combined. During those times, Thurmond’s banks were the richest in the state.
The town was founded in 1900 by a Confederate Captain named W.D. Thurmond, who received 73 acres of land in 1873 as payment for a military surveying job. The land wasn’t terribly valuable until a deal was struck in 1892 to run a railway right through the Thurmond property, and to place a train depot right smack in the middle of it.
Suddenly, Captain Thurmond owned a town, which soon grew to host an important clientele of traveling businessmen and coal barons. Being a strict tee-totaler, Thurmond soon banned all alcohol from his land and businesses. But just outside his self-directed jurisdiction, a naughty district quickly sprung up that locals called Ballyhack.
It was in this district that the McKell family opened an upscale hotel called The Dun Glen in 1901. It was a massive three-story, 100 room resort that boasted a large ballroom which often hosted live music and large parties that old tales tell lasted till the sunrise. At the Dun Glen, the bars didn’t close, the booze flowed freely and gambling was a favorite pastime.
During these years, legend (& the Guinness Book of World Records) has it that a poker game began in the Dun Glen that lasted 14 years.
Just imagine that… An elegant hotel hidden deep in the hills of West Virginia, with an ongoing poker game which was continually attended over the course of fourteen years by a rotating menagerie of wealthy traveling clientele, who would return to the table between trips back into the real world, which lay somewhere down that damned ol’ railway line…
Man…. If those tracks could talk…
New River Gorge Stat Sheet
established: December 27, 2020 as New River Gorge National Park
national river: November 10, 1978 as New River Gorge National River
rank of admission: 63
annual visitation: 2019 – 1,195,721
rank in visitation:
size: 72,808 acres
rank in size: 45
time zone: Eastern Time Zone
park phone: 304-465-0508
park website: nps.gov/newrivergorge
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