Sight · New River Gorge National Park
Public New River access via River Road, near Hinton.
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 area
A Bear Cub’s Winter Birthday“Black bear cubs are born in the middle of winter, while their mother is tucked into her den.”
Plays on the road 0.2 mi from Tug Creek River Access 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
Parking, toilets, drinking water, accessible facilities and the launch surface aren’t confirmed at this site. Treat it as a river-access stop rather than a developed beach, and don’t assume swimming conditions or boat suitability.
The New River is a warm-water fishery. The park’s river-wide species list includes smallmouth and rock bass, walleye, muskellunge and more; it isn’t a Tug Creek-specific inventory. Spring and fall are productive seasons, with early morning and late evening worth considering. A West Virginia fishing license is required in the park, and reaching the river across private property requires the owner’s permission.
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
ChallengingBig Branch Trail2 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayA strenuous loop through cascades, farmstead ruins, and gorge views.
ModerateGwinn Ridge Trail3 mi · 1.8 hr · 3.6 mi awayA wooded 3-mile ridge loop with occasional winter views.
ModerateSandstone Falls Overlook0.2 mi · 15 min · 3.9 mi awayA quick gravel walk to a high view of Sandstone Falls.
EasyIsland Loop Trail0.7 mi · 30 min · 4.3 mi awayA short island loop from river views into returning forest.
EasySandstone Falls Boardwalk0.5 mi · 30 min · 4.4 mi awayA wide, low waterfall reached by bridges and an accessible boardwalk.
Sight · 0.4 mi awayRichmond Hamilton FarmA preserved farmstead shows how families made do before the railroad.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayTrump-Lilly FarmA mountain farmstead where every outbuilding had a job.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayBrooks Falls Roadside ParkA broad river rapid for a quick roadside pause.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayBig Branch FallsA waterfall hike with spring flowers and a story in the hollow.
Sight · 2 mi awayHellems Beach River AccessPublic river access below Brooks Falls Rapids.
Sight · 3.1 mi awayBrooks Island OverlookA five-minute stop for the wooded island and river below.Sight · 4 mi awaySandstone Falls OverlookA short gravel walk, then 1,500 feet of falls from above.
Sight · 4.3 mi awaySandstone FallsA short boardwalk reaches islands framed by 1,500 feet of low falls.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.
