I had an ambitious itinerary for today. We needed to maximize our 1 full day in the park by hitting 4 major areas. We arrived at the trailhead for Endless Wall at 8:30 am. I took the ranger seriously when she told me yesterday to get there before 9:00 am and take the trail and head in the opposite direction for the best views before the crowds reach them. We weren’t disappointed at all.
We discovered that the power was still out in the park from the terrible storm yesterday. It also made for a muddy trail which was also pretty rocky in parts. There are access points for rock climbing along some of the “social” (unofficial) trails.
This hike from point to point is about 3 miles with the Diamond Point overlook being about midway.
There is dense forest between the lookout points and it’s thick with wild rhododendrons that are just starting to bud and bloom. It must be spectacular when it’s all in full bloom.
Needless to say the weather today was a far cry from the heat, humidity and storms of yesterday. It was sunny, about 70 degrees and expected to dip into the 40s tonight. Upon returning to our car we set the coordinates for our next stop which would be the Grandview section. This area is one of the deepest areas of the park. It is much cooler as there is a ‘natural air conditioner’ where a crack in the rock emits cool air.
Damian did a little rock climbing by himself when we explored the sandstone formations along the Tunnel Trail which has areas of flagstone stairways. We took a lunch break and then headed to the Thurmond historical area which is an honest to goodness ghost town. A railroad boom town that hit its heyday in the early 1900s then started to decline with the great depression and when coal fired steam engines were replaced by diesel its fate was sealed. The old depot from 1902 is now restored and houses the Visitors Center. It was here we again encountered the ranger we met yesterday at the Canyon Rim. She’s the one who posed the question, “What’s the difference between a gorge and a canyon?” The answer is there is no difference. They are one and the same. Obviously the rangers get bored and take to antagonizing park patrons.
At one point many years ago 15 passenger trains a day ran through Thurmond. Surprisingly, it is still an active Amtrak stop along The Cardinal line that runs from Penn Station in NYC to Chicago. According to our ranger friend this is the warmest part of the park.
Our day would end at Sandstone Falls. The New River is one of our finest stretches of whitewater where the elevation drops 750 ft in 50 miles. At this point we witnessed a huge flock of birds swimming on and diving into the river. Although we couldn’t tell what type of birds they were it was a sight to behold.
This park is enormous, full of adventures and absolutely free! There are no entrance nor admission charges. If you get a chance come visit wild, wonderful WV and experience this national treasure.
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