Southwest Virginia · Pulaski to Galax · Running · Point to point
New River Trail
A 57-mile linear state park along the New River with tunnels, trestles, and near-zero grade.
- Distance
- 57mi
- Climb (measured)
- 1,143ft
- Time (hiking est.)
- Your call
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Terrain
- Crushed stoneShadedRiverside
The route
Map and elevation, linked
1,143 ft up, 1,549 ft down · 1,846–2,345 ft
What it feels like
What it feels like
Easy going early, then a gradual 0.8-mile climb of 115 ft late in the route when legs are already tired. Crushed-stone tread that stays firm in most weather, mostly under tree cover.
Before you drive
What to know first
Closures and conditions change. Check the agency's alerts page before leaving.
- Parking
- Park only in designated areas. A parking fee is charged year-round at all Virginia State Parks; at New River Trail it is $7 per standard vehicle, payable at the contact station when staffed, otherwise by self-pay envelope (cash or check) placed in the honor safe, or by credit card at the park office or via the QR-code self-pay app. Horse trailers may park only in the designated horse-trailer parking sites, which are provided at Allisonia, Austinville, Cliffview, Dora Junction, Draper, Fries, Ivanhoe and the Mark E. Hufeisen Day Use Area. The corridor has many numbered access points with parking, labelled P# for the mileage from the Pulaski access — including P1 Pulaski, P2 Dora Junction, P6 Draper, P10 Hiwassee, P12 Allisonia, P13 Big Reed Trestle, P17 Barren Springs/Route 100, P19 Lone Ash/Route 622, P20 Bertha, P24 Foster Falls, P25 Shot Tower, P28 Austinville, P31 Ivanhoe, P34 Buck Dam, P40 Fries Junction, P42 Gambetta, P45 Fries, P48 Cliffview Campground and P49 Cliffview. Campsites permit only two motor vehicles without an additional fee. No parking-lot capacity or space counts are stated by the agency.
- Fees
- Parking fee is $7 per standard vehicle, the same rate on weekends and holidays, plus $4 per equestrian trailer. Fees are collected at the contact station when staffed and at self-pay lots otherwise. Fees are waived Jan. 1, on National Public Lands Day, and for veterans on Nov. 11.
- Permits
- Not on file
- Hours
- Trails and day-use areas open daily, dawn to dusk (no night use). Park office open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., closed state holidays.
- Restrooms
- 5 non-flush toilets along the trail (all five reported as accessible). Additional non-flush toilets serve the Cliffview and Millrace campground sites; portable toilets are available year-round near the Foster Falls picnic shelters, and the amphitheater has none. Campgrounds have no showers or bathhouses.
- Water
- Potable water is available only at Galax, Cliffview Campground (Dannelly Park) and Foster Falls, plus the horse trailer lots at Ivanhoe, Draper and Dora Junction. Running water at Cliffview Campground is shut off November through March; carry water during those months. Double Shoals Campground has no water supply — campers must bring their own. There is no potable water at other trail access points along the 57-mile trail.
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Cell service
- Not on file
- Emergency
- Not on file
How hard it will feel
Difficulty, explained
Easy
DCR rates 14 of 16 segments easy; Hiwassee to Draper and Draper to Dora Junction are rated moderate. DCR publishes no single rating for the full 57 miles.
Commitment is up to you: turn around whenever you like on a long, level corridor.
- Distance
- +0
- A 57 mi corridor you can join for as little or as much as you like.
- Climb
- +0
- About 20 ft per mile: rail-grade or flatter.
- Footing
- +1
- Natural tread: roots, mud after rain, uneven in places.
- Technicality
- +0
- Nothing technical recorded; walking the whole way.
- Exposure
- +0
- Mostly sheltered; shade is listed.
Commitment
How long it takes
This is a corridor you join for as long as you like, so there is no honest total. Plan with a pace instead:
- Hiking:
- ~23 min per mile
- Running:
- ~11 min per mile
- Family pace:
- ~40 min per mile
Terrain
Underfoot
- Surface
- Crushed stone, Gravel
- Technicality
- Nothing technical recorded
- Crossings
- None recorded
- Exposure
- Not on file
- Grade
- Steepest quarter mile 4.7% · 2% of the route climbing at 5%+ · 82% near level Trailfinder reading
Recorded hazards
- Dark tunnels — bring a light
- Shared use with horses and bikes
- Flooding after heavy rain
What you'll see
On the record
- 57 miles beside the New River
- Two tunnels and long trestles
- Frequent access points
Setting on file: River, Forest.
When to go
Seasonal character
Southwest VirginiaWeather at elevation runs 10-15°F colder than the valleys with frequent fog. Snow and rime ice are normal from December into March.
General seasonal character, not a live condition report. Check the agency's alerts page for closures.
Who it fits
Is this for you?
- Runners
- Yes, running is supported
- Families
- Good with kids
- Strollers
- Stroller friendly
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Accessibility
- Level firm surface for most of its length; check specific access points with the park.
- Experience
- Beginners welcome
The long version
About this route
New River Trail State Park runs 57 miles between Pulaski, Galax, and Fries, following an old rail corridor beside the New River for much of its length.
The surface is level crushed stone with two tunnels and several long trestles. Because grade is negligible and access points are frequent, it is one of the friendliest long routes in Virginia for beginners, families, and anyone building distance.
If not this one
Related, and why
Southwest Virginia
Virginia Creeper Trail
- Distance
- 34.3mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,223ft
- Hiking time (estimate)
- Your call
- Crushed stone
- Shaded
- Riverside
More views · Ridgeline or summit on the record.
Southside & the Piedmont
High Bridge Trail
- Distance
- 32.2mi
- Elevation gain
- 375ft
- Hiking time (estimate)
- Your call
- Crushed stone
- Shaded
- Riverside
Shorter version · 32.2 mi if time is short.
Before you drive
What to know first
Closures and conditions change. Check the agency's alerts page before leaving.
- Parking
- Park only in designated areas. A parking fee is charged year-round at all Virginia State Parks; at New River Trail it is $7 per standard vehicle, payable at the contact station when staffed, otherwise by self-pay envelope (cash or check) placed in the honor safe, or by credit card at the park office or via the QR-code self-pay app. Horse trailers may park only in the designated horse-trailer parking sites, which are provided at Allisonia, Austinville, Cliffview, Dora Junction, Draper, Fries, Ivanhoe and the Mark E. Hufeisen Day Use Area. The corridor has many numbered access points with parking, labelled P# for the mileage from the Pulaski access — including P1 Pulaski, P2 Dora Junction, P6 Draper, P10 Hiwassee, P12 Allisonia, P13 Big Reed Trestle, P17 Barren Springs/Route 100, P19 Lone Ash/Route 622, P20 Bertha, P24 Foster Falls, P25 Shot Tower, P28 Austinville, P31 Ivanhoe, P34 Buck Dam, P40 Fries Junction, P42 Gambetta, P45 Fries, P48 Cliffview Campground and P49 Cliffview. Campsites permit only two motor vehicles without an additional fee. No parking-lot capacity or space counts are stated by the agency.
- Fees
- Parking fee is $7 per standard vehicle, the same rate on weekends and holidays, plus $4 per equestrian trailer. Fees are collected at the contact station when staffed and at self-pay lots otherwise. Fees are waived Jan. 1, on National Public Lands Day, and for veterans on Nov. 11.
- Permits
- Not on file
- Hours
- Trails and day-use areas open daily, dawn to dusk (no night use). Park office open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., closed state holidays.
- Restrooms
- 5 non-flush toilets along the trail (all five reported as accessible). Additional non-flush toilets serve the Cliffview and Millrace campground sites; portable toilets are available year-round near the Foster Falls picnic shelters, and the amphitheater has none. Campgrounds have no showers or bathhouses.
- Water
- Potable water is available only at Galax, Cliffview Campground (Dannelly Park) and Foster Falls, plus the horse trailer lots at Ivanhoe, Draper and Dora Junction. Running water at Cliffview Campground is shut off November through March; carry water during those months. Double Shoals Campground has no water supply — campers must bring their own. There is no potable water at other trail access points along the 57-mile trail.
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Cell service
- Not on file
- Emergency
- Not on file
Provenance
- Facts:
- verified against the managing agency · last checked August 29, 2026.
- Route line:
- 56 OpenStreetMap ways (ODbL), fetched 2026-09-05; elevation from USGS 3DEP 10 m, 2026-09-05. Assembled as single line.
- Readings:
- anything marked Trailfinder reading is derived by Trailfinder from those sources, not published by the agency.
Before you go: Trail conditions, access rules, weather, water availability, and closures can change. Check the linked official source before leaving and choose a route appropriate for your experience and current conditions.