Visitation increased across the board at all three national park sites in southern West Virginia in 2023. At New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, 1,709,623 visitors entered the park reflecting an increase of 7.12% over 2022 at 1,595,923. This was the highest year on record for the park since its establishment in 1978. The park also had the highest months on record for April, May, June, August, and September.
Gauley River National Recreation Area increased 14.5% with 187,223 visitors in 2023 and 163,510 in 2022. Bluestone National Scenic River increased 53% from 14,113 visitors in 2022 to 21,592 visitors in 2023. The significant jump was due, in part, to the addition of new trail counters at the Bluestone State Park and Lilly entrances to the park.
Visitation at all three park sites has increased significantly since the re-designation of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve from national river to national park and preserve. In 2019, visitation at all three park sites totaled 1,352,666 while 2023 visitation totals 1,918,438 reflecting a 41.8% increase.
“While our annual increase has slowed since the initial 30% jump in the year immediately following the re-designation,” said Deputy Superintendent Eric Laprice, “the fact that it continues to rise speaks to the value of these three national park sites to the national and international communities who have discovered us.”
Nationwide, national parks received a total of 325.5 million visits in 2023, an increase of 13 million or 4% over 2022.
