What is the New River Trail?
New River Trail State Park is a 57-mile linear park that runs on an abandoned railroad right-of-way in southwestern Virginia. By DCR's measure it parallels the New River for 39 miles, passing through Grayson, Carroll, Wythe and Pulaski counties and the City of Galax. It is open dawn to dusk for hiking, biking and horseback riding, with primitive campgrounds and boat ramps along the way.
An abandoned railroad right-of-way became a 57-mile state park
Start with the rail bed. Before it was a park, the New River Trail was a railroad line, and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation still describes it that way: a 57-mile linear park that follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way. The park that grew out of that corridor totals 1216.6 acres.
A linear park is a corridor rather than a block of land. Its shape comes from the path the trains took, so the park is long and narrow and its acreage is spread thin along the whole 57 miles.
The City of Galax's comprehensive plan records the change from rail to recreation in one line: "The rail line has since been converted into the New River Trail State Park". The trail's southern end sits inside that city, and the trailhead, the parking at Chestnut Creek and the city ground around it are covered on the page for Galax VA land, homes and farms.
Four counties, one independent city, and two ways to count the river miles
DCR says the park passes through Grayson, Carroll, Wythe and Pulaski counties and the City of Galax. Its list of towns along the corridor is Allisonia, Austinville, Draper, Fries, Hiwassee, Ivanhoe and Pulaski.
How much of the 57 miles runs beside the water depends on which agency is counting. DCR says the park parallels the New River for 39 miles. The Department of Wildlife Resources, on its New River page, says the trail parallels the river for over 50 miles from Pulaski to Fries or Galax. Those are different measures of the same corridor, so neither one replaces the other, and a figure quoted from either belongs next to the name of the agency that published it.
Carroll County holds part of the corridor, including Cliffview Campground near Galax, and the county's share of the trail is described in the Carroll County trails guide. Austinville, one of DCR's listed towns, is a village in Wythe County on the river, and its trail access and the old mine ground beside the water are on the page for Austinville VA real estate.
Street addresses for four entrances, from Galax to Foster Falls
DCR's entrance directions give street addresses for the access points, which is the practical form for anyone plotting a drive or checking how far a piece of ground sits from a trailhead.
| Entrance | Address in DCR's directions |
|---|---|
| Galax | 212 East Stuart Drive, Galax, VA 24333 |
| Fries | 323 Firehouse Drive, Fries, VA 24330 |
| Austinville | 231 Store Hill Road, Austinville, VA 24312 |
| Foster Falls | 116 Orphanage Drive, Max Meadows, VA 24360 |
Foster Falls shares its address with the park office, which DCR lists at 116 Orphanage Dr., Max Meadows, phone 276-699-6778. The directions name other access points too. One of them, Chestnut Yard, is on Iron Ridge Road in the Woodlawn area of Carroll County, and the farm ground and water lines around it are described on the page for Woodlawn VA land and farms.
Two tunnels, three major bridges and nearly 30 smaller bridges and trestles
Because the trail is a railroad grade, the structures on it are railroad structures. DCR counts two tunnels, three major bridges and nearly 30 smaller bridges and trestles.
- Tunnels
- Two, 135 feet and 193 feet long
- Hiwassee bridge
- 951 feet
- Ivanhoe bridge
- 670 feet
- Fries Junction bridge
- 1,089 feet
- Smaller bridges and trestles
- Nearly 30
The grade explains the uses as well as the structures. DCR describes the trail's gentle slope, which is what a railroad needed and what makes a long walk or ride on it manageable. A line built for trains climbs slowly and crosses low ground on bridges instead of dropping into it, so the corridor stays gentle even where the land beside it does not.
Dawn to dusk on foot, bike or horse, with campgrounds, ramps and six water points
DCR says the park is open daily from dawn to dusk, and that the trail is used for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
- Camping. Three primitive campgrounds: Cliffview, Millrace and Double Shoals.
- Boats. Boat ramps at Allisonia, Foster Falls and Austinville.
- Drinking water. Potable water at Galax, Cliffview Campground (Dannelly Park) and Foster Falls, and also at the horse trailer lots at Ivanhoe, Draper and Dora Junction.
That water list has grown. An earlier reading of DCR's page named only the first three points; the page now adds the three horse trailer lots, so any count of three is out of date.
Claytor Lake and Grayson Highlands are separate state parks
Two other state parks lie in the same part of Virginia. Each is its own place, with its own office and its own rules.
Claytor Lake is an impoundment of the New River in Pulaski County, and where the lake sits and who controls its shore are covered in where Claytor Lake is.
Grayson Highlands State Park is high country near Mount Rogers, and the park and what it holds are described in what Grayson Highlands State Park is.
Looking at land near a New River Trail entrance?
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Questions this raises
Where can I get drinking water on the New River Trail?
DCR lists potable water at six places: Galax, Cliffview Campground (Dannelly Park) and Foster Falls, plus the horse trailer lots at Ivanhoe, Draper and Dora Junction. Descriptions that count only three water points are out of date, because the park's page now includes the horse trailer lots. Conditions at any one site can change, so check with DCR before planning a long day around a stop.
Can you camp overnight along the New River Trail?
Yes, at its campgrounds. DCR lists three primitive campgrounds in New River Trail State Park: Cliffview, Millrace and Double Shoals. Reservations, fees and the rules for each campground are set by DCR and can change, so the park's own page is the place to confirm them before a trip.
Why do DCR and DWR give different river mileage for the New River Trail?
They publish different measures. DCR says the 57-mile park parallels the New River for 39 miles. The Department of Wildlife Resources says, on its New River page, that the trail parallels the river for over 50 miles from Pulaski to Fries or Galax. The two figures are not interchangeable, so quote one with its agency's name attached rather than blending them into a single number.
Where this page's facts come from
Every rule, office and figure above traces to one of these. Rules change; check the office before you act on one.
- New River Trail State Park Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
- New River Trail State Park entrance directions (PDF) Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
- New River Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
- Comprehensive Plan 2022, Amendment 1, adopted January 8, 2024 (PDF) City of Galax
- Claytor Lake Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
- Grayson Highlands State Park Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation