Endless Wall Trail

Welcome to another Travel Tuesday! Apparently, the Endless Wall Trail hike was voted “Best National Park Hike” in 2015 by USA Today! It’s located at the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia!

This was the other hike Hamidah and I did when we went to West Virginia to hang out with Linda at Please Save A Cat. Originally, we’d planned on going to Shenandoah National Park twice, but it was a 3-hour drive one-way, so we figured maybe we’d do something more local after climbing Old Rag.

Linda had recently come across a post of a rather extreme-lookin’ but absolutely beautiful trail and sent it my way. We decided to go for it–here’s a quick preview!

Endless Wall Trail

The Endless Wall Trail is a 2.4 mile hike that passes through forests and zigzags in and out along the cliff. There are a number of lookout points where you can get amazing views of the New River (~1000 feet below you!).

You start off at the Fern Creek Trailhead, just a couple miles from the northern end of the New River Gorge Bridge.

Trailhead Address: Endless Wall Trail, Edmond, WV 25837
Distance: 4.8 miles (out and back)
Duration: 2-3 hours (leisurely pace with a bunch of photo stops)
Elevation: 275 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Admission: Free
Parking: Free

We stopped at pretty much every lookout point there was for photos. Make sure you check out the Diamond Point Overlook as well!

It’s also a super popular place for rock climbers! Part of the breathtaking views included the sandstone walls that surround the gorge and there are apparently more than 1600 routes to choose from! (I so want to go back here once I’m more legit and have the equipment and knowledge to climb outside!)

Speaking of climbers, there are rickety-lookin’ metal ladders that pass through a cave and lead to the bottom of the Endless Wall Trail–it’s how climbers access the base of the crag.

The ladder is kinda what made it look intense in that facebook video I mentioned before. I had to check several times to be sure it was truly secure before I willed myself to climb down.

We decided to hike the whole trail and double back, making this more of a 4.8 mile hike! If you want something shorter, you can hike along the road for ~0.5 miles to get back to your car!

Please be careful when you’re near the edge of these cliffs! They’re legitimate cliffs and you do not want to fall from them. If you have pets or small children with you, be extra careful and vigilant!

As with Ricketts Glen State Park and Buttermilk Falls State Park, I feel like this would be a gorgeous place to visit in any of the seasons, and I hope to be back someday!

• What’s a hike you’ve been on that gave you the prettiest views?
• Tell me a place that’s on your travel bucket list!