New River Trail State Park
- Status
- Status not posted
- Entrance fee
- $7 per vehicleAnnual pass available
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- dcr.virginia.gov(276) 699-6778
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Covering about 878 acres, New River Trail State Park lies in Wythe County, about 13 miles southwest of Pulaski.
The park supports horseback riding, canoeing and kayaking, boating, biking, and hiking. On the water side, there is a boat ramp and boat or kayak rentals. For overnight stays there are campsites (tent sites and group camping). The park says there are no showers.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trails | Daily | sunrise – sunset | — |
Official wording
Trails and the day-use area are open daily from dawn to dusk. Call the park for livery and gift shop hours.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).
Pets
'Pets are welcome in most outdoor areas of our parks.' 'Leashes may be no longer than 6 feet.' 'Pets are not permitted in yurts.' 'There is a $20 additional nightly charge per pet for cabin stays. There is no additional charge for pets in campgrounds.'
Statewide rule from Virginia's park system (source). This park’s page doesn’t state its own pet rules, so check for local restrictions.
Fees and passes
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Passenger Vehicle Parking and Admission Fees – Standard | $7 |
| Passenger Vehicle Parking and Admission Fees – Weekends (Apr–Oct*) | $7 |
| Boat Launch and Equestrian Fees – In addition to Daily Parking Fee Year-Round Per Trailer – Equestrian | $4 · day |
| High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – HOV 9–15 passengers Standard | $15 |
| High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – HOV 9–15 passengers Weekends Apr–Oct* | $15 |
| High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – Buses 16 or more Year-Round | $35 |
Official wording
Passenger Vehicle Parking and Admission Fees – Standard: $7 Passenger Vehicle Parking and Admission Fees – Weekends (Apr–Oct*): $7 Boat Launch and Equestrian Fees – In addition to Daily Parking Fee Year-Round Per Trailer – Equestrian: $4 High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – HOV 9–15 passengers Standard: $15 High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – HOV 9–15 passengers Weekends Apr–Oct*: $15 High Occupancy Vehicle and Bus Parking and Admission Fees – Buses 16 or more Year-Round: $35
Virginia park passes
- Naturally Yours Passport — $85. Parking and admission for 12 months to all State Parks (admission for up to 4 at Natural Bridge and Southwest Virginia Museum) Details
- Senior Naturally Yours Passport — $40. Parking and admission for 12 months, age 62+ Details
- Naturally Yours Passport for Boaters/Equestrians — $180. Parking plus boat-launch / horse-trailer fees for 12 months Details
- Senior Naturally Yours Passport for Boaters/Equestrians — $145. As above, age 62+ Details
From the Virginia state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- Virginia State Parks reservation system (reservevaparks.com)
- Phone
- 800-933-7275
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Camping
OVERNIGHT FACILITIES
Camping; no cabins. Overnight accommodations are available at the Inn at Foster Falls. The park has three campgrounds in different locations with different types of sites. Please read the following information carefully and follow instructions specific to the campground of interest. Other locations are for day-use only.
For information on the availability of overnight accommodations, particular park amenities, or to make a reservation at a campground, you can reserve online or call 1-800-933-PARK. Rental rates for cabins and camping vary by season, dwelling, site type and park. First, determine the appropriate season, which can vary by park, then the relevant rate. You also may want to learn about the cancellation and transfer policies.
Read more from the park
The Inn at Foster Falls
Operated by Samson Global LLC, the historic riverside inn is within steps of the New River Trail and offers ten rooms for rent. Click here for more information or to book or call 276-293-9540.
Camping
Camping
New River Trail State Park has three primitive campgrounds: Cliffview, Millrace and Double Shoals. There's no vehicular access to the campsites and no showers or bathhouses.
Cliffview Campground (Carroll County near Galax) is a trailside campground with primitive tent camping only. It overlooks Chestnut Creek. Access is from the Dannelly Fitness Complex parking lot and across a footbridge (no direct vehicle access). Twelve primitive campsites are available. Note: This campground is 24 miles from the Millrace Campground.
All sites are timbered and marked. Each site has a fire ring, lantern post, picnic table, access to the New River Trail and non-flush toilet. Drinking water is available. One site, CV001, is universally accessible and is reserved last if not required for a disabled camper.
Reservations are required. Same-day reservations are permitted. Campers must leave their confirmation letter on their car's dashboard for overnight parking. Campers will need access to a fax machine or will need to pick up the letter at the Cliffview office if there is insufficient time to receive the letter by mail.
Running water at Cliffview Campground is shut off from November through March. Customers must bring water during that time.
Directions: Take State Route 58 to Galax. Go north on SR 887 to Cliffview Road (SR 721). Take SR 721 one-quarter of a mile and turn right onto Creekview Road. Go one mile to the Dannelly Complex. Cliffview Campground parking is on the right. Cross the footbridge into the campground.
Number of sites of each type: Primitive Tent, 12
Site types:
CV001-CV012: Site CV001 is universally accessible and is the last to be rented if not required by a disabled guest.
- Campground map
Millrace Campground (Wythe County at Foster Falls). This campground overlooks the New River. There is no vehicular access to the campground. There is a short walk to the sites from the parking lot. There are 19 primitive tent camping sites. Note: This campground is 24 miles from Cliffview Campground.
All sites are timbered and marked. Each has a fire ring, lantern post, picnic table, access to the New River Trail and non-flush toilet. Drinking water is available. One site, MR019, is universally accessible and is reserved last if not required for a disabled camper. There is no life-guarded swimming. The New River's current is unpredictable and potentially dangerous; underwater hazards are possible.
Reservations are required. Same-day reservations are permitted. Campers must leave their confirmation letter on their dashboard for overnight parking. Campers will need access to a fax machine or need to pick up the letter at the Foster Falls office if there is insufficient time to receive the letter by mail.
Directions: From I-77, take Exit 24. Go east on State Route 69 to SR 52. Go north to SR 608. Go east and follow signs.
Number of sites of each type: Primitive Tent, 19
Site Type:
MR001-MR019: Site MR019 is ADA (universally accessible). This site is reserved last if not required by a disabled citizen.
- Campground map
Double Shoals Campground is an honor system campground. There's a self-pay system onsite for first-come, first-served use. Two primitive sites only. Campers must bring their own water. It is part of the New River Canoe Trail and is accessible only by river or trail via paddling or hiking. The Town of Fries is the closest access. Location is mile marker P-40 on the Fries branch of New River Trail State Park. Land neighboring Double Shoals is privately owned and landowners do not accommodate parking.
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
BikingBoatingCanoeing and kayakingCampingHorseback ridingHikingPicnicking
Trails
The 57-mile multi-use trail is great for hikers, bikers and horseback riders. Those seeking extra adventure will love the Hoover Mountain Biking Area. It has five loops with seven trails, which are off-limits for horses and golf carts. All trails are rated easy or moderate. Access is between the Allisonia Boat Ramp and Hiwassee River Bridge on Julia Simpkins Road in Allisonia. See an enhanced map of the area.
Swimming
There are no designated swimming areas, but tubing the New River is popular here. Call the Foster Falls Boat and Bike Livery at 276-699-1034 to rent tubes.
Boating, paddling and fishing
This linear park parallels a 39-mile stretch of the New River. Boat ramps are available at Allisonia, Foster Falls and Austinville. The river supports outstanding populations of just about every major freshwater game fish in the state. You’ll find smallmouth bass, spotted bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, striped bass, white bass, hybrid striped bass, muskellunge, walleye, black crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, yellow perch, redbreast sunfish and bluegill. State records caught in the New River include muskellunge (45 pounds, 8 ounces), smallmouth bass (8 pounds, 1 ounce) and yellow perch (2 pounds, 7 ounces). The state record spotted bass came (3 pounds, 10 ounces) from nearby Claytor Lake. The New River is bound to yield many more record-setting catches in the future.
Read more from the park
The park rents kayaks and canoes at the Foster Falls Boat and Bike Livery, open seasonally on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from April to Memorial Day and is open seven days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day and Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays again from Labor Day through October. Download a Boat & Bike flier. For more information, please call 276-699-1034.
Visit this site for detailed New River maps and trip planning information.
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Picnic areas
- Picnic shelters
- Playground
- Nature center or museum
- Park or camp store
- Parking
- Amphitheater
- Group facilities
- Showers: not available (stated by the park)
Water
- Boat ramp
- Boat, canoe or kayak rentals
Camping
- Tent camping
- Group camping
Recreation
- Horse trails
Accessibility
- Accessible trails
- Beach or all-terrain wheelchairs
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
- Beach or all-terrain wheelchairs
- Accessible trails
- Trail: The entire length of the trail is accessible with all trail side picnic/rest areas, including accessible tables. Five trail side non-flush restroom facilities are accessible.
- All-terrain wheelchairs are available. See the park map for ATW trails
- Camping: One accessible site each at Millrace and Cliffview campgrounds, and these campgrounds include accessible non-flush restroom facilities.
- Cliffview office, Foster Falls depot, Foster Falls concession building, and Foster Falls picnic shelter are all accessible. Two non-flush restroom facilities at the Foster Falls access are accessible, and one restroom facility at the Cliffview access is accessible.
- Shot Tower accessibility: The Shot Tower grounds and restroom facilities are accessible. Although climbing the Shot Tower is not an accessible feature, the park provides a picture showcase that allows those unable to climb the tower to see the views at the top of the tower. A virtual tour of the shot tower is available.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 116 Orphanage Dr.
Max Meadows, VA 24360 - Nearest town
- Pulaski — about 13 mi southwest (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 36.8846, -80.8525
- Phone
- (276) 699-6778
- NewRiverTrail@dcr.virginia.gov
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
There are several entrances into this park. The park meanders through Grayson, Carroll, Wythe and Pulaski counties and Galax in southwestern Virginia and parallels the scenic and historic New River for 39 miles. Its address is 116 Orphanage Dr., Max Meadows, VA 24360. Foster Falls: Latitude, 36.530512. Longitude, -80.512931. Shot Tower: Latitude, 36.522000. Longitude, -80.522033. Cliffview: Latitude, 36.408613. Longitude, -80.550665. You may use cash, check or Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express at self-pay lots. Localities: Counties: Carroll, Grayson, Pulaski and Wythe Cities: Galax Towns: Allisonia, Austinville, Draper, Fries, Hiwassee, Ivanhoe and Pulaski Here's a list of entrances, directions and points of interest. Drive Times: Charlotte, N.C., 2 hours; Knoxville, Tenn., 3 hours; Winston-Salem, N.C., 1 hour.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Virginia State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026; page says updated Oct 8, 2026
- Virginia State Parks 'Find a park' list (HTML, one 'Name (CODE)' link per park)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology