Campground · New River Gorge National Park
A wooded camp at the end of an old creekside rail trail.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
New River Gorge Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for New River Gorge National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the New River Gorge audio tourRecorded for this place
Glade Creek's Waterfall Walk“You're nearing the lower Glade Creek trailhead by the campground, the starting point I'd choose for a short waterfall hike.”
Plays as you drive up to Glade Creek Campground in the Parkwolf New River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Glade Creek Campground is a small, wooded public campground beside the New River, where Glade Creek Trail reaches its end. Keep it in mind if you want a no-frills base for hiking, fishing, or a night under the trees. It has just 11 first-come, first-served sites and takes no reservations, so have a backup plan in busy periods.
Six sites are walk-in tent sites; five are drive-in sites for tents or campers. The approach on Glade Creek Road is a long gravel drive from Route 41, and large RVs aren't recommended. There is one accessible campsite, accessible composting restrooms, and access to the picnic and fishing areas and a short portion of the trail. The exact layout of individual sites isn't published.
The campground has no potable water, showers, electricity, or hookups. Bring water, meals, and supplies before turning onto the remote road; nearby stores are miles away. Composting toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings with grills cover the basics. Camp only in designated sites and use existing fire rings.
The 5.6-mile, one-way Glade Creek Trail follows an abandoned narrow-gauge railroad beside a cascading creek. It's a moderate route for hikers and bikers, with small waterfalls and pools along the way. The lower creek is a catch-and-release trout stream, so this is a useful base if you brought a fly rod.
Wildlife
18 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
126 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
25 sightingsPileated WoodpeckerMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
15 sightingsBarred OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
14 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsCopperheadMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across New River Gorge. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateGlade Creek Trail5.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayA gentle rail grade keeps you beside cascades most of the way.
ModerateTunnel Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 2.6 mi awayA short, shady walk beneath Grandview’s broad sandstone overhang.
ChallengingCastle Rock Trail0.6 mi · 45 min · 2.6 mi awayWalk beneath layered walls and exposed coal along a strenuous gorge path.
ModerateGrandview Rim Trail3.2 mi · 2 hr · 2.6 mi awayA wooded 1.6-mile route between two overlooks, with hills near Turkey Spur.ModerateGrandview Rim Loop3 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.9 mi awayRiver views, exposed coal seams, and a rocky loop back.
EasyWoodland Loop Trail0.6 mi · 18 min · 3 mi awayAn easy forest loop from Grandview Shelter #2.
ChallengingLittle Laurel Trail2.6 mi · 2 hr · 3.1 mi awayAn old road drops from Grandview toward Royal's coal-town remains.
ModeratePolls Plateau Trail3.7 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.1 mi awayCreek crossings and an old farmstead on a quiet forest loop.
Sight · 1 mi awayGlade Creek FallsA creekside hike leads to tiered falls across a sandstone ledge.
Campground · 2 mi awayWar Ridge CampgroundEight drive-in sites at the park’s only off-river campground.
Sight · 2 mi awayMill Creek River AccessA simple launch where Mill Creek meets the New River.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayGrandview Main OverlookSeven miles of river and gorge from one short overlook.
Visitor center · 2.7 mi awayGrandview Visitor CenterMaps, a small shop, and a walk to a seven-mile river view.
Sight · 2.7 mi awayCliffside AmphitheaterA 1,200-seat stage for live summer drama at Grandview.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayNorth OverlookA river bend framed by Grandview’s flowering rhododendrons.
Campground · 2.8 mi awayGrandview Sandbar CampgroundWooded campsites put you beside the New River.Parkwolf’s New River Gorge ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
