S. M. Garver - West Virginia Views

Views of and around the New River Gorge National River and Bridge in West Virginia taken on two different trips. Additional photos from the Scenic View on Route 19.

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At and around the New River Gorge National River and Bridge
Instead of driving across the bridge, on this trip I drove down the hillside, across a much smaller bridge, and then back up the opposite hillside.
May 6, 2009

Bridge extends just over 3,000 feet long across the gorge.
[Two images stitched together to include as much of the bridge as possible. The long bridge is high above the gorge.]

The New River passes under the bridge.
[Tubulent, muddy river snaking through the gorge. A train track is visible on the left bank. The steep hillsides on both sides of the river are blanketed with leaf-bearing trees.]

The bridge is 768 feet above the New River. (Image taken from a viewing platform near the top of the bridge.)
[Portrait view of the muddy, turbulent river snaking through the gorge. This view shows the top of the hillsides and the sky above it. There is a small bridge crossing the river not too far above the water line.]

A road winds down the hillside from the top of the bridge down to the river.
[A paved one-lane road winds to the left through the leafy trees on the hillside.]

A small parking area gave me this close view of the arch.
[Image taken in portrait view from below the bridge surface partially down the hillside looking straight at the steel cross members in an x shape with some curved steel of the top of the arch visible. The trees are fully leafed and provide a green carpet around the bridge.]

This is a close view of the small bridge visible on the image taken from the viewing platform near the top of the bridge (third prior photo).
[This image was taken from a river bank just downstream from the bridge. A leafy tree blocks the right half of the bridge. The bridge has what appears to be a brick support at the river's bank and an arch support structure above the road. The water level is high and dirty.]

A boat ramp leading to the overflowing New River.
[This image taken from the top of the boat ramp which is a series of planks parallel to the water atop a bed of crushed rock. The water level covers the bottom of the ramp and whitewater is visible at the river's opposite edge.]

Water level was definitely high.
[Image taken at the edge of some rocks which are partially submerged in the brown water. There are trees sticking out of the water. Whitewater is visible through the tree trunks.]

Along the road back up the hillside was a trail leading to several waterfalls.
[Portrait view of a small waterfall cascading down the rocks. Many thin water streams fall beside the main stream.]

A footbridge in the background of this image was part of the trail to see the waterfalls.
[The water flow snakes down the incline through the many large square rocks. This view is taken through the leafy trees at a level above the water. The bridge is metal with brick bridge supports at the water's banks.]

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At the New River Gorge National River and Bridge
October 4, 2023

In between my prior visit and this one, the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
[The sign has a blue background and the letters and outer edge are a light metal color. The sign reads,

Two views of the bridge at different elevations on the hillside

This photo and the next two are zooming down to a closer view of the New River.
[The river cuts through the valley coming around the bend to a straighter section with has a bridge just above the water level. The hillsides are completely filled with trees except for a section on the right side of the river which is open for the road alongside the river. This view is high enough that not all of the river is visible and just the top of the bridge can be seen.]

The open area on the right side of the river is the road at that level.
[The river cuts through the valley coming around the bend to a straighter section with has a bridge just above the water level. The hillsides are completely filled with trees except for a section on the right side of the river which is open for the road alongside the river.]

These are the rapids just at the far bend of the river as it comes into view in the prior images. The road on the right side is visible.
[At the far end of the photo the river comes around the bend and into view in a straight section down the image. There are rocks along the edge of the river and two sections have whitewater. On the right of the river is a section of trees then a paved roadway and then more trees. The left hillside is all trees.]

Asters along the stairs to the viewing platforms for the bridge
[On thin green stalks are flowers with approximately 15 thin white petals and a small nubby yellow center.]

Flox in the gardens near the visitor center building
[Multiple spheres of light pink/purple flowers extend from thin stems. Each flower has five flat petals with a center depression of the same color.]

A bee feasting on a bloom.
[A close side view of black and yellow bee with black wings and antenna attached to the side of a plant with small tubular purple blooms at its top. The bee is grasping the blooms.]

Milkweed pods
[Vertical stalks from three different plants are visible. Each stalk has several green teardrop-shaped pods with white pricklies on them.]

Opened milkweed pods exibiting floss and seeds.
[Two photos spliced together. Each has several completely closed dark brown teardrop-shaped pods and at least one open pod showing the white cottony-looking center with the embedded small dark seeds.]

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At the Scenic View on Route 19
October 4, 2023

Looking toward the east from the scenic view parking lot.
[The image is a hillside full of trees with some blue sky and white clouds at the top. Most of the trees are still green, but there are some sections which are dark red or orange-red.]

A grasshopped at the edge of the scenic view parking lot
[The brown grasshopper is in the large gravel at the edge of the parking lot.]

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