Two cyclists enjoy the view on a bridge at New River Trail.

Like all of New River Trail State Park, the last 24 miles we’ll highlight in this third post is great for hikers, bikers and horseback riders. Indeed, this multi-use trail has something for everyone. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series if you haven't already!

Foster Falls

The park's Foster Falls area is a great place to get oriented and decide whether you want to venture west or east. You’ll find the park office with restrooms, water and a gift shop in case you need provisions. You can rent bikes, safety equipment, tubes, canoes or kayaks at the Foster Falls Boat and Bike Livery, which also operates a shuttle to and from access points.

Foster Falls is a good place to bring your horse to the trail.

Are you bringing your own horse? The 16.5-acre Mark E. Hufeisen Horse Complex offers horse trailer parking and features an arena with bleacher seating. Saddle up your ride in the arena for a $5 daily fee. (State law requires that visitors carry a copy of a negative Coggins report with each horse brought to the park.)

Where to stay? 

If you reach Foster Falls as a through-point of your visit and want to spend the night, you’ll find the park’s third primitive campground, Millrace Campground, overlooking the New River. There is no vehicular access to Millrace; it’s a short walk to the 21 tent sites from the parking lot. Each campsite has a fire ring, lantern post and picnic table, plus access to a non-flush toilet and drinking water. 

In 2023, the Inn at Foster Falls will offer a more luxurious option in a restored 19th-century building, the first and only such lodging in the Virginia state park system. 

Hoover Mountain Biking Area

If bicycles are your preferred mode, check out the Hoover Mountain Biking Area located about halfway between Foster Falls and Pulaski. Its five loops with seven trails are off-limits for horses and golf carts, so you’ll have all of the three miles to yourself and your wheels. Long ago, three iron oxide ores were mined here by Hoover Color Corporation, who used the natural ores to make hundreds of shades of pigment. You can still see the richly colored minerals in the biking area’s rocky slopes. As you head north toward Pulaski, you’ll cross the park’s second-longest bridge, Hiwassee Trestle. 

The Hiwassee Trestle Bridge spans 951 feet across the New River.

Draper

Soon the river turns away from the trail, but you’ll want to keep going to Draper, home to Draper Mercantile, a homespun trailside establishment that’s greeted travelers for more than a century.  

Enjoy the Village Coffee Shoppe or browse the old-fashioned candy counter before returning to the trail. You can even rent a ride from The Junction bike shop at the Mercantile. 

Our meandering linear park winds through the rural landscape to finish near Pulaski, north of I-81. Of course, you can begin at this northern end, too, or at any of the many access points all along this rails-to-trails state park. You don’t need a horse or a bicycle, because the beauty of New River Trail is accessible with just a stroll. See it for yourself soon!