New River Gorge National Park: Sandstone Falls Recreation Area — Attraction in Hinton

This is a lovely surprise I encountered while meandering off a drive to Irish Mountain. It is apparent that a good deal of thought went into planning the boardwalk so as to not disturb too much of the natural elements of the area. I was thrilled to see the geographic formation, the river churning a late winter wash, and indigenous plants. I expected seeing some results of acid rain and other environmental onslaught, but I did not expect to see the amount of human-created debris I encountered. Wash-off from high water, yes, but I'm speaking of freshly dumped trash in the parking lot and dog feces on the boardwalk. Come on, people! This is ours to enjoy and showcase. A lovely lady sat writing at one of the picnic tables, my husband and I watched a beaver readying a worksite, and a family of about 5 dumped their drink containers in the parking lot. I picked them up. The pet owner I did not see. Maybe a pet waste bag dispenser on site would remind people of the responsibility of pet ownership AND stewardship of our beautiful resources?? In spite of my rant, this was a gorgeous place to be on a chilly...

We stopped by driving through the area. This spot is a little tricky to get to. We drove across Irish Mountain Road from the Pluto Rd exit off I-64. That was an adventure in itself! I see now why maps won't route you this way, even though it is the shortest distance from the highway.

The park area itself is beautiful. Well maintaind main trail and bridges with spectacular views overlooking the river and falls. We also hiked the island loop trail. This trail is mostly flat but has lots jagged rocks and tree roots in the trail. There are some large rock steps near the end. You get to see the slower almost creek like side across from the parking area, and also the wide river with rocky shore. We did get down to the shore once back on the main trail and got to the beach and walked in the river. Kids loved that. There were some people swimming in a few of the tide pools just after the falls, but we weren't ready for that. Lovely area that wasn't too busy on a Tuesday evening. Bathrooms are the typical outhouse style, be prepared. ...

Sandstone Falls is a must-see when visiting the New River Gorge National Park. From the National Park Service website, "The largest waterfall on the New River, Sandstone Falls spans the river where it is 1500 feet wide. Divided by a series of islands, the river drops 10 to 25 feet." By volume, It's one of the largest waterfalls in the US.

The boardwalk is a wheel-chair accessible way to view the falls and the surrounding foliage.

At the southeast section of the boardwalk are some stairs that lead to a dirt path. A short hike through the woods and over boulders takes you to the closest and most scenic views of the falls. After about a third of the way, the trail disappears so you just have to find your way. At the southern tip of the island, the water gushes in torrents about ten feet below. There are no railings here so great caution is needed if traveling with children. The roar and spray of the falls here combined with the seclusion of the location, make this one of the gems of New River Gorge...