Favorite Sites at NERI

Last year when we were at NERI, we stayed close to home because of COVID. This time we wanted to get out on our days off and revisit many of our favorite sites in the park, and perhaps discover a few new ones.

Because our RV site at Burnwood is located directly across the highway from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, our first order of business was to walk the Canyon Rim Boardwalk Trail for great views of the New River Gorge Bridge and New River itself.

New River Gorge Bridge and the New River

We also returned to Grandview for several reasons. The view from the main overlook is one of the best in the park, and we never tire of gazing at the bend of the New River below. Since we were here in the spring, we were looking forward to the glorious rhododendrons. We returned several times to check out the progression of the blooms.

Grandview Main Overlook

Glorious Rhododendron

Our most poignant reason for returning to Grandview to spread some of our Kitty’s ashes near her favorite trees. Kitty loved to walk on her leash with Tim, and she had her own special places near our campsite. We thought she might like to come back here again.

Spreading Kitty's Ashes

New to us was Hawks Nest State Park, immediately adjacent to NERI on the north end of the park. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939, the park also features incredible views of the New River.

Hawks Nest State Park