Canyon Rim Bridge Overlook

Canyon Rim Bridge Overlook is a pair of viewing decks on the short Canyon Rim Boardwalk, looking across the wooded New River Gorge to the steel arch bridge. It is a strong short stop if you want the bridge’s scale without taking a longer hike. The walk is 0.1 mile one way; take the ramp to the upper deck or descend to the lower one for a closer angle. For a photo that shows the scale, keep the forested gorge beneath the arch in frame; the steel alone can make the bridge seem smaller than it is.

Start in the Canyon Rim Visitor Center parking lot and follow the sidewalk beside the large stone bulletin board. A fully accessible ramp reaches the upper viewing point. The lower deck means 178 steps down and the same climb back up; it gives a closer bridge view, but it is not the option if steps are a problem.

Completed in 1977, the New River Gorge Bridge carries U.S. 19 above the river. Its steel arch is 1,700 feet long and the whole bridge is 3,030 feet; the roadway sits 876 feet above the New River. Those numbers are easier to picture from the decks, with the wooded gorge and river below the span.

The boardwalk starts at Canyon Rim Visitor Center, so you can add the center’s exhibits on gorge communities, industry, recreation, and natural history, plus its 11-minute orientation video. Parking and restrooms are at the lot.