GLEN JEAN, WV (LOOTPRESS) – According to numbers released by the National Park Service, the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve saw a 9% increase in visitors during the month of October compared to last year.
Many factors could have played into this number such as warmer weather, fall foliage, or Bridge Day. During October, the Park saw a total of 189,045 visitors compared to 173,459 in October of 2021. Year to date, total visitation is down 1.2%.
Last month also saw an increase in overnight stays as 4,564 visitors stayed in the area for more than a day compared to 3,777 last October, a 20.8% increase. Overnight stays are up 3.5% total year to date.
Overnight tent camping stays at campgrounds within the NRG National Park did not change as October 2021 and 2022 numbers remained the same:
Stone Cliff: 543
Army Camp: 388
Grandview Sandbar: 745
Glade Creek: 513
War Ridge: 280
Brooklyn: 388
Thayer: 310
Each visitor center within the Park saw a slight decrease in visitors compared to last October except for the Grandview Visitor Center which saw a 79% increase in visitors. A total of 39,233 people visited last month compared to 21,913 in October of 2021.
For more information about the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, please click here.