Parking
Use the Grandview Shelter #2 parking area. The trail begins near the entrance, just above the restrooms, and its other end comes out by the Shelter #2 playground.
Overview
About Woodland Loop Trail
Why go
- A short, easy forest walk with parking and a flush restroom beside the start.
Heads up
- It is a quiet woodland loop rather than a gorge overlook hike.
Woodland Loop is an easy 0.6-mile circuit through the forest in Grandview. Pick it for a short, quiet walk near Shelter #2; this is a forest loop rather than an overlook route. Allow about 20 minutes at an easy pace.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the walk for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the New River Gorge map
Full mapElevation2,441–2,497 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 Woodland Loop 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 trailhead
Grandview Picnic Grounds0:00 / 0:32
“You're nearing Grandview's picnic grounds, a useful place to stop for a meal you've brought along. Check the shelter number if you're meeting a group: the picnic facilities spread across two separate clusters.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf New River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Grandview Main Overlook
- The Insect in a Pebble Case
- Turkey Spur's Wooden Platforms
- The Beaver’s Orange Teeth
- 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 Woodland Loop Trail
Starting at Shelter #2Begin near the entrance to Grandview Shelter 2 parking area, just above the flush restrooms.
Begin near the entrance to Grandview Shelter #2 parking area, just above the flush restrooms. The other end of the loop comes out by Shelter #2's playground. Parking and restrooms are beside the start, so this is an easy walk to add to a Grandview stop.
A chance for wildlifeWild turkey and deer may be seen along the route.
Wild turkey and deer may be seen along the route. They are a possibility, not a promise; the main draw is a quiet pass through the woods.
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.
