Parking
No formal lot. Local hike accounts describe a few roadside pull-offs at the unmarked Beauty Mountain Road and Buckhorn Road junction. Confirm access before parking, follow posted restrictions, and do not block the road.
Overview
About Beauty Mountain Trail
Why go
- Wide river and gorge views from a short ridge walk
- Several overlook angles along the cliff rim
Heads up
- Unmarked forks and informal side paths complicate navigation
- Public access and roadside parking rights are unclear
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the New River Gorge map
Full mapElevation1,962–2,110 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
5 active New River Gorge alerts
- ClosureRend and Church Loop trails closedRend Trail is closed from both trailheads through approximately December 2027; Church Loop Trail is also closed because its only access is from Rend.Official details
- ClosureKaymoor Miners Trail weekday closureThe upper Kaymoor Miners Trail is closed Monday–Thursday through November 19 for trail rehabilitation.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
New River Gorge Tour Guide
Your drive to Beauty Mountain Trail, narrated.
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
Keeneys Creek and the Town Loop0:00 / 0:25
“You're coming up on the Keeneys Creek trailhead, where I'd choose the Nuttallburg Loop for a closer look at how the coal town was laid out.”
Plays on the road 0.4 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf New River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Nuttallburg's Coal Works
- What the Coke Ovens Made
- Two Sides of Short Creek
- Headhouse Trail's Upper Start
- 92 audio storiesacross New River Gorge’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, White-tailed Deer, Pileated Woodpecker, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 49 trails, 55 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Beauty Mountain Trail
A short walk above the riverBeauty Mountain Trail is an informal out-and-back of about 1.
Beauty Mountain Trail is an informal out-and-back of about 1.1 miles round trip from an unmarked roadside junction to cliffside views over the New River. Allow 45 minutes to an hour with stops. The ridge walk is mostly level and suits a quick overlook visit, though the loose trail network takes more attention than a signed park path.
Access is the main question to settle before driving out. Local accounts place the start at the Beauty Mountain Road and Buckhorn Road junction, but the approach road is marked private on some maps and private parcels sit within the park boundary. I found no official confirmation of public rights for this specific access. Check posted signs and do not enter restricted land. Some listings give 1.5 miles without defining endpoints; the mapped 1.1-mile route covers the main overlook outing, with extra wandering adding distance.
Choose the main branchThe path starts through rhododendron and hardwood cover, then forks about 100 feet in.
The path starts through rhododendron and hardwood cover, then forks about 100 feet in. The right-hand branch follows power lines toward narrower ledges with only partial gorge views. Return to the fork and take the left-hand ridge path for the broad slab at the main cliffs. There are no trail markers, and smaller paths split and rejoin near the rim, so keep the main route in view rather than treating every worn trace as part of one hike.
At the cliff edgeThe broad overlook opens onto the New River below, with Endless Wall across the gorge and the…
The broad overlook opens onto the New River below, with Endless Wall across the gorge and the cliffs above the Kaymoor and Long Point area farther along the skyline. The bend in the river makes a useful line through the view; include it with the opposite wall for a sense of scale. The sandstone edge is unprotected, so enjoy the panorama from well back from the brink.
Sandstone countryBeauty Mountain is a long sandstone rim rather than a pointed summit.
Beauty Mountain is a long sandstone rim rather than a pointed summit. Resistant Nuttall Sandstone forms the cliffs, and large boulders sit near the brink. The area is also a major climbing destination; you may see climbers on the rock face below, but the hiking route itself is an overlook walk, not a climbing approach. Dogs are allowed on park trails and must stay leashed.
Wildlife
Wildlife in New River Gorge
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.
