Many pictures show folks bungying off of, crawling around under, and parachuting off of but we chose to drive over, drive under, and hike around the New River Bridge.  It is an impressive structure (they claim it contains 40 million pounds of steel) spanning an absolutely beautiful gorge. Fayette Station Road weaves down the steep walls twisting back and forth under the towering span.  It crosses at river level then winds its way back up the other side of the gorge. Kent maneuvered the Miata expertly as always.  It was a great ride.   The bridge is the most know feature…well, next to the whitewater I guess; but there is a lot more to New River Gorge National River.

A preserved ghost Railroad town, Thurmond.  They shot a recent movie about coal miners’ strikes here.  There are many other coal towns, lumber towns, and railroad towns that have been entirely reclaimed by the mountains.  Thurmond can still give a little hint of what life might have been like around here in the heyday of coal in the early 1900s.

We got a look at the New before it enters the narrow gorges. Sandstone Falls tumbles 20 feet in a broad peaceful stretch of the river just before it is funneled into the more familiar twisting course squeezed between mountains.

It is a little sad to know that this river isn’t really wild any more.  It has six or more dams and the frothing swirling wild current that makes for amazing rafting, as well as the slow reflective pools are all products of our manipulation.

It is still a beautiful place.  Perhaps we will raft it again one day, when the weather is a little warmer!