Photo: New River Gorge Bridge towering above fog

West Virginia's New River Gorge Bridge was the world's longest steel-arch bridge (Shanghai's Lupu Bridge took the title in 2003). It opens to pedestrians once each year on "Bridge Day."

Photograph by Susie Post Rust

Related Features

  • Photo: sunrise on the appalachian trail

    Hike the Appalachian Trail

    Get inspired with our Ultimate Adventure Bucket List, a collection of 40 trips that range from totally extreme to actually doable.

  • California; Zephyr; Train; sunset; scenery; window

    Top 10 North American Train Trips

    Journey past mountain peaks, coastal views, desert vistas, and some of the most magnificent scenery the continent has to offer.

  • Photo: A mountaintop removal mine in West Virginia

    When Mountains Move

    The quest for Appalachian coal has led to mountaintop removal, a process that's been called strip mining on steroids.

West Virginia Map

Boundaries and names shown do not necessarily reflect the map policy of the National Geographic Society.

Newsletters