Apparently September makes us feel like we should be camping. A year ago we were glamping at Zion National Park and this year we made plans to visit the newest national park in our new camper! Since the timeframe overlapped both Hailey’s and my birthdays, we knew we wanted to make it special by finding a place with fun things to do. After googling around, we decided to make reservations at Adventures on the Gorge, a place less than 5 minutes from the national park offering camping, cabins, and a plethora of outdoor adventure activities.
We booked a pull through campsite and our activities. Unfortunately a week before we left our household passed around what I’ve deemed the plague which caused deep coughs, exhaustion, and general malaise. We were over the sickness when it was time to head north, but David’s coughs have a tendency to stick around, so we ended up adding on a Sportsman cabin for the girls and I to sleep in the first two nights, which ended up working really well! The spots were a close walking distance to each other and it allowed us all to get the rest we needed to make the most of the trip.
Adventures on the Gorge Day 1 – Timber Trek
We woke up our first morning on Hailey’s THIRTEENTH birthday! The girls slept on while I sneaked over to the campsite and decorated with David. When they wandered over an hour later we blasted “happy birthday princess” and kicked off the morning with bagels and eggs on the Blackstone. Hailey opened cards and presents as we eased into her special day.
We visited the playground, rode bikes around the property, then got ready for Timber Trek, an obstacle course through the trees with various bridges, ziplines, and increasingly hard challenges as you move up in difficulty level. The guides walked us through the safety precautions, then the course itself was self led. It. Was. A. Blast! They had to kick us off after our 2.5 hour long time slot because the kids would have kept going all night (which is possible because they light it up for a in-the-dark challenge at night).
The kids came off the TimberTrek absolutely raving about the fun they had and already asking to do it again. We grilled smash burgers for dinner, but ate inside in the camper because there were a ton of yellow jackets, then walked over to Smokey’s, one of the onsite restaurants, to order birthday ice cream sundaes and watch the sun go down.
Adventures on the Gorge Day 2 – NRG NP
David had some work to do on Monday, so the girls and I took off to adventure on our own. The New River Gorge National Park is a less than a five minute drive from Adventures on the Gorge, so we ate breakfast then headed off in search of Junior Ranger Badges.
The visitor center is small but really nice and we enjoyed learning about the plants and animals of the region in the museum and the history of it in the short film played every 15 minutes in the theater. The girls completed their workbooks, said the pledge, and added a new National Park badge and sticker to their collections!
We hiked the few small trails near the visitor center then spent the remainder of the afternoon getting some necessities at the local Walmart before heading back to camp to cook up steak quesadillas on the Blackstone.
Adventures on the Gorge Day 3 – White Water Rafting
On day three we lined up White Water Rafting! The area is in the top five best white water rafting spots in the world, especially during Gauley Season, there they let water through the dam Thursday-Sunday creating incredible rapids. We happened to be visiting during Gauley Season and saw the flocks of people that descended upon the area on the weekends to enjoy it.
Because of Kaitlyn’s age, our rafting options were more limited, so we signed up for the rafting trip on the upper New River. Being late in the season, we had the river to ourselves. It was beautiful, the guides were friendly and fun, and the girls giggled heartily at the gentle rapids we crossed. They set up a riverside lunch halfway through the trip and it served as a gentle entry into the world of white water rafting. We look forward to leveling up to more level 3 and 4 rapids on our next expedition. That night we grilled hotdogs over the fire for dinner.
Adventures on the Gorge Day 4 – Castle Rock Trail & The Bridge Walk
David had more work to do in the morning, so the girls and I made the 45 minute drive to a different portion of the New River Gorge National Park to hike a trail I had heard good things about- Castle Rock Trail. It was a cool, gray morning, which set the scene for a great fall hike!
The national park is very dog friendly but I had heard there might be steep drop offs so we left Finley behind. The trail was short (only a mile, loop) but it did have some magnificent rock formations and overlooks! They say no young kids because there are a few steep drop offs along the path, but it’s nothing compared to Zion’s Angel’s Landing or Acadia’s Bee Hive. The kids were both relieved and disappointed by that, but the trail itself is a great one and we all enjoyed it.
After our hike we picked up David, grabbed a delicious lunch at Secret Sandwich Society and headed to our next adventure- the Bridge Walk!
The Bridge Walk was a last minute add on for us. I wasn’t sure the girls would be down for it, but they both enthusiastically declared they wanted to do it. I’m not a big fan of heights but knew that us be harnessed in would ease my fears. We suited up, bussed over, and got clipped in. As we took the first few steps out onto the catwalk that runs underneath the bridge my heart started pounding. It was WILD! I was mostly nervous about the kids and must have said a million times to not goof off (even though they weren’t playing around at all). They loved it!
I must admit that my heart pounded hard the whole time but it was a really unique experience that we all thoroughly enjoyed. The New River Gorge Bridge is 876′ tall, 3030′ feet long, and made with 44,000,000 lbs of steel. It’s incredibly impressive and offers an amazing view. The whole tour probably took a little less than 2 hours start to finish. Highly recommend!
Afterwards we stopped by Pies and Pints in Fayetteville, 5 minutes down the road, for a delicious pizza. It was a great spot with a lively atmosphere, some games for the kids, and seriously good pizza.
Adventures on the Gorge Day 5 – Float Fishing and Gravity Zip Line
We had to be up early for fishing and while the girls were sleepy, they rallied. The morning was serene and the water was still. Absolutely breathtaking.
Again we lucked out with guides that were personable and fun to be with. The fish weren’t enthusiastic about being caught that morning, but we did hook a few, reel them all the way to to boat, and then watched as they hopped off the hook and swam away. Still, we all really enjoyed the float, the activity, and the conversation and hope to return and try for those small mouth bass again in the future!
After fishing the girls and I grabbed lunch in town and did a little shopping while David had a work call. Then that afternoon we had another activity, just for the birthday girls. Kaitlyn wasn’t big enough to participate in the Gravity Zipline Course, but Hailey and I partook and ended up being the only two on a tour of which usually holds 16 people. It was wonderful to have it to ourselves (with the guides) and we so enjoyed racing each other on ziplines through the forest.
That evening we ate at the nicest onsite restaurant, Smokey’s. The pimento hushpuppies were scrumptious and overall we were impressed the quality of of the food. It was a great meal to end a full and fun day.
Adventures on the Gorge Day 6 – Endless Wall Trail and Rock Climbing
On our last day, I awoke another year older. I welcomed the birthday hugs, fresh cup of tea, and the breakfast of hashbrowns prepared on the Blackstone. It was a beautiful day to fit in the last of our scheduled activities- a hike in the national park and rock climbing.
The Endless Wall Trail is an easy three mile loop with gorgeous views on the gorge along most of the way. Finley came with us and loved it! Afterwards we grabbed lunch at The Secret Sandwich Society (so nice, we went back twice) and headed to our afternoon activity- outdoor rock climbing in the national park! We lucked out once again being the only ones signed up and enjoyed a private lesson on how to climb on a real mountain. It was such a fun new experience for us and we all enjoyed the new challenge. I was so proud of how well the kids did!
That night we grilled up whatever food we had left in the camper fridge and relaxed by the campfire. It was a full and action packed week and while we had a blast, we were also looking forward to real showers and beds back at Nana’s. We headed south and spent one more night camping near the new house so we could swing by and see it Sunday morning before heading home. One month away from moving into our new home and we couldn’t be more excited!
Quick Facts
- Favorite Restaurants: The Secret Sandwich Society, Pies and Pints, The Wood Iron Eatery
- Favorite Store: Lost Appalachia Trading Co
- Favorite Activities: Timber Trek, The Bridge Walk, Fishing
- Favorite Hikes: Castle Rock and Endless Wall
- Camper Favorites
