Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / West Virginia / Southern West Virginia

Glade Creek Trail (New River Gorge)

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (Glade Creek trailhead at the end of Glade Creek Road, off WV 41 near Prince)

The National Park Service names three trails at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve as good for overnight trips: Glade Creek, Kates Plateau, and Polls Plateau. With the two plateau trails partly closed by a slide, Glade Creek is the one not listed as closed, an old railroad grade that climbs a side gorge from the New River.

The main trailhead is at the end of a 7-mile gravel road, and campsites are scattered along the creek.

The hike

The NPS lists the Glade Creek Trail at 5.6 miles one way, rated moderate with a “very moderate” grade. To reach the main trailhead, take WV 41 north from Beckley toward Prince, turn right on Glade Creek Road just before the Prince bridge, and follow the gravel road 7 miles. The NPS says the upper trailhead, reached from the Grandview exit off I-64, needs a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle.

The trail follows Glade Creek upstream on a raised railroad bed. MyHikes points out a waterfall about a mile up, a bridge crossing, and a cave carved by the creek. The NPS says a footbridge crosses the creek three miles up from the New River.

Near the upper end, the trail meets the Kates Falls Trail. MyHikes puts a short spur to Kates Falls at about 4.8 to 5.1 miles of its track, and says the falls are best in spring; they were a trickle in early fall and dry by late September. The NPS warns of a washout at that junction that “may be impassable when creeks are running high.” The park’s closures page also lists the Kates Plateau Trail closed by a slide from the Upper Glade Creek parking area to the Kates Plateau Loop Trail, which cuts off the plateau trails from this end.

MyHikes calls Glade Creek “one of the best backpacking trails at New River Gorge” and says traffic is light, even on weekends. Return the way you came.

After the Aug. 16, 2026 flash flooding, WV Explorer reported, citing the NPS, that Glade Creek Road was closed beyond the Grandview Sandbar campground, along with closures at Nuttallburg, Fayette Station, and Cunard. Check the park’s closures page before you drive in.

Tips

Camping

The NPS backpacking page lists Glade Creek among its recommended overnight trails. Camp at least 100 feet from trails, trailheads, park structures, historic ruins, day-use areas, water sources, and streams (Leave No Trace suggests 200 feet), and at least 300 feet from any clifftop or cliff bottom. Groups in undeveloped backcountry are limited to eight people and two tents, and the stay limit is 14 days. Fires are allowed at backcountry campsites in a fire pan or fire ring and must be fully doused. Store food and trash securely.

Inside Intel: MyHikes’ page author camped about 1.8 to 1.9 miles up, where a small dirt path climbs the bank to a flat spot with a fire ring, and counted at least four or five more sites farther along. No other camper accounts recommending a specific site were found.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Supper on the Glade Creek grade:

Park rules allow fires only in a fire pan or ring at New River Gorge backcountry sites, so a small stove keeps creekside camp simple. See which stoves testers trust.

See what testers chose →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.