Independent guides to the U.S. national parks
Large arch bridge spanning a forested gorge in autumn, with a winding river flowing between colorful hills

Park news · New River Gorge

New River Gorge: Bridge Day 2026 Draws Tens of Thousands of Visitors

According to WCHS, Bridge Day 2026 drew tens of thousands of spectators and several hundred BASE jumpers, the only legal BASE jumping in a U.S. national park.

By David Sanchez, · Updated

Coverage ended · 1 update since the first story Jump to where it started

Timeline

  1. Latest update

    Bridge Day 2026: Tens of Thousands of Visitors

    According to WCHS, Bridge Day 2026 drew tens of thousands of spectators to the site. Again per WCHS, several hundred BASE jumpers leapt from the bridge, which stands 876 feet above the river. WCHS notes that this is the only place where BASE jumping is legal in a U.S. national park. If you're thinking about visiting New River Gorge in mid-October, these attendance numbers give you a good sense of the crowds to expect around the event.

    Official source : BASE jumpers brave 876-foot drop at New River Gorge Bridge Day ; Bridge Day 2026 draws thousands to New River Gorge

  2. Where it started

    New River Gorge: Road and Access Closures for Bridge Day

    For Bridge Day, several park roads and access points close this weekend, so here are the closures to know and the detour to plan for.

    If you're visiting the park this weekend, plan your route ahead of time. For Bridge Day, the big annual gathering at the bridge, several roads around New River Gorge will close. Here's what that means for your trip.

    The biggest one is U.S. Route 19. It closes Saturday, October 17 at 7 a.m. and doesn't reopen until 5 p.m. It's the main road crossing the gorge, so the closure lasts all day. To get around it, take U.S. Routes 60 and 16, which adds about a 45-minute detour. Build that time in if you're on a schedule.

    Barriers close a winding road lined with autumn trees, with a bridge and river visible across the gorge

    For parking, the lot at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center closes Friday, October 16 at 5:30 p.m. and won't reopen until Saturday morning. If you were planning to park there early in the day, have a backup. Two other spots are affected too. Fayette Station Road stays closed from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday, and the Burnwood area is off-limits Friday and Saturday.

    Here's some good news in all this. The visitor centers keep their normal hours. You can still grab information, maps, and ranger advice on site, even with everything disrupted nearby.

    Bottom line, skip Saturday for any last-minute driving in this area. If your trip lands right on these dates, move your drives to early Friday morning or wait until Sunday, when traffic goes back to normal. To plan the rest of your visit, you'll find our highlights and routes in the New River Gorge park guide, which is handy for scheduling your stops around these temporary closures.