Hikers walk past one of the largest exposed sandstone faces along Castle Rock Trail on May 26, 2024, near the Grandview Visitor Center at Beaver, Raleigh County, in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
A muddy New River winds its way past the Main Overlook at the Grandview Visitor Center near Beaver, in Raleigh County, on May 26, 2024, in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
The New River Gorge Bridge is shown, on June 7, 2024, from the overlook on Long Point Trail in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve near Fayetteville.
Hikers walk past one of the largest exposed sandstone faces along Castle Rock Trail on May 26, 2024, near the Grandview Visitor Center at Beaver, Raleigh County, in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE | Gazette-Mail file photo
A record 1.8 million people visited the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in 2024. That number topped by 6.3% the previous visitation record, set in 2023, according to recently released National Park Service statistics.
Last year was also a visitation record-setter for the National Park Service, which drew nearly 332 million people to its 443-unit network of parks, preserves, monuments and recreation areas — up 2% from 2023.
The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s record-high visitation numbers also are likely to set a new high point for visitor spending in the vicinity of the park.
In 2023, the most recent year for which spending statistics were tallied, visitors to the new national park spent $96.5 million at local businesses such as retail stores, gas stations, hotels, campgrounds, restaurants and outfitters, according to the Park Service.
In addition to the 1.8 million visitors recorded at the New River Gorge last year, the Gauley River National Recreation Area tallied 272,898 visitors, while 7,327 people visited the Bluestone National Scenic River.
A muddy New River winds its way past the Main Overlook at the Grandview Visitor Center near Beaver, in Raleigh County, on May 26, 2024, in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE | Gazette-Mail file photo
The state’s remaining National Park Service unit, Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, hosted 488,049 visitors last year, up from 427,317 guests in 2023.
The record level of national park visitations in 2024 was made public earlier this month, shortly after the Trump administration’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency began firing nearly 1,000 National Park Service employees nationwide as part of a cost-cutting initiative.
The New River Gorge Bridge is shown, on June 7, 2024, from the overlook on Long Point Trail in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve near Fayetteville.
