Back
Midland Trail: Ansted to Kanawha Falls, New River Gorge, West Virginia
Photo: jpmueller99 from Shenandoah Valley of VA, USA · CC BY 2.0

Drives West Virginia West Virginia and Western Maryland

Midland Trail: Ansted to Kanawha Falls

Midland Trail, US 60 · Ansted → Kanawha Falls

Twisty12.5 mi25 min800 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,500 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

US 60 runs past Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted, where a clifftop overlook looks down on the New River about 750 feet below. The park was established in 1935 and has a lodge about a mile east of the overlook, a restaurant, a gift shop, hiking trails and a River Nature Center. The park is open 24/7.

The drive continues to Gauley Bridge and then to Kanawha Falls, a 24-foot waterfall on the Kanawha River about a mile downstream from where the New and Gauley rivers meet. Gauley Bridge lies about 2 miles upstream along US 60.

Along the way

  1. Ansted
  2. Hawks Nest
  3. Gauley Bridge
  4. Kanawha Falls
Elevation
800 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,500 ft
AnstedKanawha Falls
Curves
Mostly moderate, with one twisty stretch
AnstedKanawha Falls
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Check WV511 for current road conditions.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check WV511 road conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Midland Trail from Ansted to Kanawha Falls take?

US 60 from Ansted to Kanawha Falls is 12.5 miles and takes about 25 min.

What is the Hawks Nest overlook on US 60?

It is a clifftop overlook at Hawks Nest State Park that looks down on the New River about 750 feet below.

How tall is Kanawha Falls?

Kanawha Falls is 24 feet high.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 15 drives in West Virginia ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of Midland Trail: Ansted to Kanawha Falls, from Ansted to Kanawha Falls