State tourism commissioner Chelsea Ruby (right) speaks Monday during the ribbon cutting ceremony for an additional parking lot in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Gov. Jim Justice and Babydog also attended the event. (Screenshot from Gov. Jim Justice’s YouTube)
In time for one of the state’s largest events this weekend, West Virginia leaders on Monday celebrated a new parking option in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
Gov. Jim Justice spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new parking lot at the Nuttall Trailhead of the Endless Wall Trail in Fayette County.
Speaking during the event, Jake Bumgardner, operations manager for the state Division of Highways, said an influx of visitors after the area was reclassified as a national park in late 2020 led to an “unsafe environment” as visitors parked along the road.
State Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Ruby said the project had been in the works for several years.
“Anyone who’s been out hiking Endless Wall in the last couple of years is familiar with the problems that we had,” Ruby said. “We had a very small parking lot down here and for years it’s been overcrowded. And then with the national park designation that got even worse.”
Endless Wall is a 2.4 mile-trail along the cliff edge of the gorge in the unincorporated community of Lansing, according to the National Park Service. The area sees about 2 million visitors per year, Ruby said.
The new parking lot, at the Nuttall Trailhead, adds an additional 70 parking spaces.
“It’s been great to see how the state can work with the National Park Service to really take growth and figure out how do we responsibly deal with it, and how do we make sure that we’re providing an excellent visitor experience,” she said.
Bridge Day, slated for Saturday, draws thousands of visitors to the New River Gorge Bridge every year to see adventure seekers parachute from the span on the one day it’s legal. It’s the largest one-day festival in the state.
“Bridge Day is one of West Virginia’s proudest traditions of the year,” Justice said in a news release. “The day attracts visitors from around the world to our beautiful New River Gorge National Park. Today’s celebration of the expanded park at Endless Wall Trail is perfect timing. It’s more than extra spaces — it’s about improving safety and evolving with the growing demands for visitation.
“There is no doubt that West Virginia tourism is booming, and I could not be more proud to support that momentum,” Justice said. “I look forward to this new space accommodating many visitors this weekend.”
The event was one of two tourism announcements that Justice attended Monday. He also was on hand in Ghent to mark the addition of Heritage Highway, a 194-mile scenic loop through southern West Virginia, to the West Virginia Mountain Rides program.
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