New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
National park · West Virginia
Redesignated a full national park in 2020, this 876-foot-deep gorge is spanned by one of the highest bridges in the Americas; the Canyon Rim Visitor Center overlook is the classic vantage for the bridge and the sea of ridge-line color that peaks around mid-October, before Bridge Day draws crowds each fall.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 18–October 22
Color builds from October 8 · mostly bare by November 12
Sampled at New River Gorge National Park & Preserve’s own coordinates and elevation (527 m) rather than a regional average.
12 weather points cover West Virginia, and the model needs no correction to land on 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. Against West Virginia's own climatology, the 2026 weather puts the peak 1 day earlier. How the forecast works
When to go to New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
The color window runs about 21 days, holding until around October 29. At 1,729 ft, it turns before the lower ground nearby.
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of West Virginia, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does New River Gorge National Park & Preserve peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 18–October 22 (best estimate October 20). Color starts around October 8 and is mostly bare by November 12.
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