LANSING, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Visiting the New River Gorge this weekend? There’s one lesser-known way to see the gorge and some of the views are only accessible by rail.
Bridge Day will be held this Saturday, October 19, 2024.
If you’re in town this weekend for West Virginia’s largest single-day festival, you can get on board Amtrak either Friday or Sunday to ride through the New River Gorge, including under the bridge.
The Amtrak 50 & 51 Cardinal runs through the New River Gorge three days a week on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
The 50 Cardinal runs from Chicago to New York and the 51 Cardinal from New York to Chicago.
A train ride through the New River Gorge on Amtrak can be done if one catches the eastbound train first and then catches the westbound train back.
The Cardinal stops in Huntington, Charleston, Montgomery, Thurmond, Prince, Hinton, Alderson, and White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia.
To see the entire length of the gorge including the bridge, one must board at least in Montgomery and ride to Hinton.
From Montgomery, one can witness sights such as Kanawha Falls, Hawks Nest Dam, New River Gorge Bridge, Sewell coke ovens, historic Thurmond and Prince, and Sandstone Falls.
The train does not run on Bridge Day.
Tickets can be purchased at Amtrak.com.