- Best time to visit New River Gorge: April and August to October. The weather is at its most comfortable then, and crowds are lighter than at the peak.
- Busiest month: July, with about 280,157 visits in a typical recent year. That is 3.3 times as many as March.
- Quietest month: January (39,090 visits), when weather or closures keep most people away.
- Snow: January to March and December average 6 inches or more of snow at the station.
- Wettest month: July, with 5.0 inches on average.
Bar height: visitors that month, compared with the busiest month. Temperatures: average daily high and low (°F); rain and snow: monthly averages. Best marks the months we suggest.
Month by month
| Month | Crowds | Visits (typical) | High / low (°F) | Precipitation | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 39,090 | 40° / 24° | 3.1 in | 16 in |
| February | Very quiet | 40,714 | 44° / 27° | 3.1 in | 15 in |
| March | Quiet | 84,807 | 52° / 33° | 4.0 in | 9 in |
| April ★ | Moderate | 122,159 | 64° / 43° | 3.6 in | 2 in |
| May | Busy | 201,416 | 72° / 51° | 4.7 in | 0 in |
| June | Busiest | 233,720 | 78° / 59° | 4.3 in | 0 in |
| July | Busiest | 280,157 | 81° / 62° | 5.0 in | 0 in |
| August ★ | Busiest | 240,060 | 80° / 61° | 3.7 in | 0 in |
| September ★ | Busy | 185,451 | 74° / 55° | 3.2 in | 0 in |
| October ★ | Busy | 192,049 | 64° / 44° | 2.7 in | 1 in |
| November | Quiet | 86,496 | 53° / 35° | 2.8 in | 2 in |
| December | Very quiet | 43,447 | 44° / 28° | 3.3 in | 11 in |
Weather figures are NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Beckley Raleigh Co Airport station (2,514 feet above sea level), 5 miles from Grandview Visitor Center. Visitor numbers are the median of 2022 to 2025 monthly recreation visits from the National Park Service.
By season
- Spring (March to May): 23% of the year’s visits; average highs 52° to 72°F.
- Summer (June to August): 43% of the year’s visits; average highs 78° to 81°F.
- Fall (September to November): 27% of the year’s visits; average highs 53° to 74°F.
- Winter (December to February): 7% of the year’s visits; average highs 40° to 44°F.
Weekends and holidays
Even in a quiet month, holiday weekends fill parking lots and campgrounds. The 2027 federal holidays to plan around:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18
- Presidents Day: Monday, February 15
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 31
- Juneteenth: Saturday, June 19
- Independence Day: Sunday, July 4 (observed Monday, July 5)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 6
- Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day: Monday, October 11
- Veterans Day: Thursday, November 11
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 25
See the crowd calendar for all 64 parks.
Weather, in the park service’s words
Weather in the Appalachian Mountains can be unpredictable and can change quickly. Always be prepared for the possibility of sudden storms. Weather in the mountains is often cooler and wetter than the surrounding area. On average, the warmest month is July. The maximum average precipitation also occurs in July.
From the National Park Service (public domain).
Today at New River Gorge
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Alerts: National Park Service, checked hourly. Forecast: National Weather Service, for Grandview Visitor Center. Always confirm on the official park site before you set out.
Sources
- National Park Service visitor use statistics (IRMA): monthly recreation visits, 2022 to 2025
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991 to 2020 (monthly)
- National Park Service Data API: weather overview (public domain)
Last checked 1 November 2026.