GENERAL INFO: New River Trail State Park has been designated an official National Recreation Trail by the U. S. Department of the Interior. The park parallels 39 miles of the New River, which is one of the world's oldest rivers and among a handful of rivers flowing north
AT-A-GLANCE: The pictographs directly below show park offerings. Click on those of interest or read below for more detail. Mouse-over the image for a short text description or click here to view a legend in which each pictograph's meaning is expressed.
LOCATION:This is a 57-mile long state park that follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way. There are several entrances into this park. The park meanders through Grayson, Carroll, Wythe and Pulaski counties in southwestern Virginia and parallels the scenic and historic New River for 39 miles. This park is part of the Rails to Trails Program as it was donated to the state by Norfolk Southern Railroad when the railroad discontinued the line and removed the tracks. This park also serves as a link to numerous other outdoor recreational areas, including a town park in Fries, Mt. Rogers National Recreational Area, the Dannelly Fitness Complex in Galax, four Department of Game and Inland Fisheries boat launches and Shot Tower Historical State Park. New River Trail is minutes from Claytor Lake State Park. This unique park features 57 miles of continuous trail. Click here for a Google map.
Jurisdictions:
Counties: Carroll, Grayson, Pulaski and Wythe
Cities: Galax
Towns: Allisonia, Austinville, Draper, Fries, Hiwasee, Ivanhoe,
Pulaski
Entrances:
PARK MAP: Click here (PDF) .
OVERNIGHT FACILITIES: Camping; no cabins. The park offers five campgrounds in different locations with different types of sites. Please read the following information carefully and follow instrutions specific to the campground of interest. Other locations are for day use only. Horse trailers may be parked at the Cliffview, Draper, Fries, Pulaski and Foster Falls entrances only. For information on availability of overnight accommodations, particular park amenities or to make a reservation at a campground with reservable sites, you can reserve online or call 1-800-933-PARK. Click here for park fees.
Click here for details on reservation cancellation and transfer policies. A fee is charged per pet per night for overnight stays.
New River Trail State Park Campgrounds - The park offers four unique campgrounds: Cliffview, Millrace, Baker Island and Double Shoals.
Cliffview Campground (Carroll County near Galax) is a trailside campground with primitive tent camping only. It overlooks Chestnut Creek. Access is from the Dannelly Fitness Complex parking lot and across a footbridge (no direct vehicle access). Ten primitive campsites are available. Three horse campsites are available with an enclosed area for the horses. There are no covered stalls. Horse campers must park trailers at the Cliffview Ranger Station, which is about one mile from the campground. Horses may not cross the Dannelly complex footbridge. Note: This campground is 24 miles from the Millrace Campground.
All sites are timbered and marked. Each site has a fire ring, lantern post, picnic table, access to the New River Trail and non-flush toilet. Drinking water is available. One site, CV001, is handicapped accessible and is reserved last if not required for a handicapped camper.
Reservations are required. Same day reservations are permitted. Campers must leave their confirmation letter on their car's dashboard for overnight parking. Campers will need access to a fax machine or will need to pick up the letter at the Cliffview office if there is insufficient time to receive the letter by mail.
Directions: Take State Route 58 to Galax. Go north on SR 887 to Cliffview Road (SR 721). Take SR 721 one-quarter of a mile and turn right onto Creekview Road. Go one mile to the Dannelly Complex. Cliffview Campground parking is on the right. Cross the footbridge into the campground. Horse campers may not use the footbridge.
Number of sites of each type: Primitive Tent, 10; Primitive Horse, 3
Site types:
CV001-CV010: Site CV001 is ADA (handicapped accessible) and is the last to be rented if not required by a handicapped guest.
CVH011-CVH013: Horse sites - There is an enclosed area for the horses, and this area is available at no charge.
Millrace Campground (Wythe County at Foster Falls). This campground overlooks the New River. There is no vehicular access to the campground. There is a short hike to the sites from the parking lot. There are 12 primitive tent camping sites and nine group primitive tent camping sites. Group sites must be rented in groups of three or more until all other Millrace sites are reserved. Once all of the Millrace sites are reserved, the group sites may be reserved individually. Note: This campground is 24 miles from Cliffview Campground.
All sites are timbered and marked. Each has a fire ring, lantern post, picnic table, access to the New River Trail and non-flush toilet. Drinking water is available. One site, MR012, is handicapped accessible and is reserved last if not required for a handicapped camper. There is no life-guarded swimming. The New River's current is unpredictable and potentially dangerous; underwater hazards are possible.
Reservations are required. Same day reservations are permitted. Campers must leave their confirmation letter on their dashboard for overnight parking. Campers will need access to a fax machine or need to pick up the letter at the Foster Falls office if there is insufficient time to receive the letter by mail.
Directions: From I-77, take Exit 24. Go east on State Route 69 to SR 52. Go north to SR 608. Go east and follow signs.
Number of sites of each type: Primitive Tent, 12; Group Primitive Tent, 9
Site Type:
MR001-MR012: Site MR012 is ADA (handicapped accessible). This site is reserved last if not required by handicapped citizen.
MRG013-MRG021: There are nine group sites. These should be rented in groups of three or more unless all other Millrace sites are taken, in which case the group sites may be reserved individually.
Baker Island Campground (Foster Falls) has seven very primitive sites. Before making a reservation, carefully read the entire description for this campground and this document (PDF) that describes this campground's particular regulations. The sites are on an island accessed only by boat and are available year-round. Reservations are strongly encouraged because prior registration of a site on Baker Island is required, even for walk-ins.
Campers must park their vehicles at the lower boat launch since access to Baker Island is only by kayak or canoe. Visitors must display their confirmation letter on the dash to prevent their vehicle from being towed. Same-day reservations are acceptable, but campers must have access to a fax machine or pick up the confirmation letter from the park's Foster Falls office if there is insufficient time to receive the letter by mail.
Number of sites: 7
Types:
Bak = code for Baker Island Campground at Foster Falls for Area of park.
BakBud= code for Group Buddy sites and they are primitive buddy sites.
Sites 1 and 2 (BakBud 001 & BakBud 002) are Group Buddy sites for a maximum of 24 people per site. These are BakBud sites.
Sites 3-7 (Bak 003 through Bak 007) are very primitive sites only for tents; maximum of six people per site.
Directions to Baker Island campsites from the water:
Follow directions to Foster Falls listed under Millrace Campground. Proceed to the parking area at the lower boat launch. Heading downstream, sites 1, 2 (Group Buddy sites BakBud 001 and BakBud 002) and 3 (BakBud 003) are accessible from the river by going to the left of Baker Island; the sites are on the right.
Sites 4 and 5, BakBud 004 and BakBud 005, are accessible by landing at the upstream tip of the island. From there you'll take a short hike to the sites (there is no direct access from the river for these two sites).
Traveling downstream, sites 6 and 7, BakBud 006 and BakBud 007, are accessible from the river by going to the right of the Baker Island; the sites are on the left.
All sites can be accessed from the upstream tip of the island, but from there you'll need to take a short hike to sites Bak 003 through Bak 007 and a longer hike to sites 1 and 2 (the Group Buddy BakBud 001 and BakBud 002).
All sites are marked with an 18" by 18" campsite marker posted along the river's edge.
Read this document (PDF) regarding specific regulations for this campground before making a reservation.
Double Shoals Campground is an honor system campground. First-come, first-served and no reservations. Six primitive sites only. Campers must bring their own water. It is part of the New River Canoe Trail and is accessible only by river or trail. The Town of Fries is the closest access. Location is mile marker P-40 on the Fries branch of New River Trail State Park.Fee.
SWIMMING: None, but tubing the New River is popular here.
TRAILS: Hiking, bicycle trails, bridle trails.
FISHING, BOATING: Freshwater fishing; kayak and canoe rentals.
HORSES: Rentals available. Call Foster Falls Livery, (276) 699-2460, for rates and reservations. Also, the park has bridle trails, and hitching posts are available at Cliffview Campground for overnight guests. No stalls or covered area for horses. Horse trailers for day-use access must be parked at the Allisonia, Cliffview, Draper, Fries, Pulaski and Jackson Ferry Horse Complex entrances only.
PARKS CALENDAR OF EVENTS: Click here to view park events, festivals, workshops and interpretive programs.
VISITOR CENTER, GIFT SHOP: This park has a gift shop in Cliffview and Foster Falls.
NATURE, HISTORY PROGRAMS: Click here to view park events, festivals, workshops and interpretive programs.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER: None.
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Jefferson National Forest; Big Walker Lookout; Rural Retreat Lake; Claytor Lake; Virginia Heritage Music Trail.
PICNIC SHELTERS: This shelter is at the Foster Falls playground and picnic area and is available for rent year-round. It may be rented all day (8 a.m. - 10 p.m.). Call 1-800-933-PARK to reserve this shelter. Parking fees are not included in shelter rental (see above for details). Click here for park fees.
Cancellation policy: No refund within 14 days before reserved date. Before then, there's a cancellation fee.
This shelter accommodates up to 100. It's 30 x 70 feet and is handicapped accessible. A pit toilet is nearby. Vehicles must be parked in the nearby parking lot, but the vehicle can be driven to and from the parking lot to drop off picnicking items. The shelter has a charcoal grill.
CONCESSIONS: The Foster Falls River Company is open on weekends from the first Saturday in April through Memorial Day, then open daily Memorial Day through Labor Day, and open on weekends again Labor Day through the last Sunday in October. The livery rents canoes, kayaks, tubes, bikes andsafety equipment, and it offers shuttle service, snacks and drinks. Call (276) 699-1034 for details.
The Foster Falls Horse Livery provides guided horse rides every day from the first weekend in April through the end of November. Call (276) 699-2460 for details.
HISTORY: In December 1986, Norfolk Southern Corporation donated a 57-mile tract of abandoned railroad right-of-way to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the establishment of a new state park. Because railroad tracks had previously been on the strip of land, the cinder roadbed needed very little grading. With the help and support of volunteer groups and chambers of commerce in the region, the park was able to open in May 1987 with four miles of trail. Since then approximately 57 miles of the park are open to the public.
