Heavy rain in Fayette County, West Virginia, damaged roads and campgrounds in the northern section of New River Gorge National Park. Key access roads, including Cunard Road and Glade Creek Road, were blocked by landslides and downed trees, cutting off access to Brooklyn Campground and Grandview Sandbar Campground. Park officials expected restoration work to continue throughout the week.
Areas Affected
Heavy rain that struck Fayette County over the weekend of August 15–16 damaged several roads in the park’s northern area at once. Cunard Road was inaccessible at multiple locations because of landslides and downed trees, leaving both the river access point and Brooklyn Campground unavailable; closures were expected to remain in place throughout the week while soils dried and debris was cleared. Glade Creek Road was temporarily closed by a landslide just beyond Grandview Sandbar Campground, while the closure on Fayette Station Road was extended from Teays Landing to where the two-lane section begins. Nuttallburg Road was also closed. The route to Thurmond remained open. The park was conducting recovery work with the West Virginia Division of Highways and was also assessing trail conditions.
What RV Travelers Need to Know
Travelers planning to visit the area should check the park’s road and trail closure notices before departing. Detours around closed sections are often limited, so it is safest to first confirm that a reserved campground can actually be reached. Slopes damaged by landslides can fail again with additional rain, and visitors should not go around closure signs or barricades. Hikers should also watch for saturated ground and downed trees, while campers near valleys should continue monitoring forecasts for additional rain upstream. Recovery schedules can change, so visitors should check for updated notices again in the days before their trip.
Photo: NPS / Dave Bieri / Original photo. Public domain. Photo date: 24 May 2008.
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