New River Gorge National Park

In the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, about four hours south of Pittsburgh, the New River has cut a gorge nearly 1,000 feet deep through some of the oldest rock on Earth. The New River Gorge Bridge spans it in a single steel arch, 876 feet above the water, graceful enough to earn a place on the state quarter. Below the bridge, the river runs Class III to V rapids that rank among the best whitewater in the eastern US, and the banks hold coal era ghost towns like Thurmond, where the forest has taken the buildings back. Spring through fall is rafting season, and October brings fall color plus Bridge Day, when BASE jumpers leap from the bridge.