Castle Rock Trail
in West Virginia
Labeled (4) on the Grandview Area Trails map Length 0.6 miles/0.97 km (One-way) Difficulty Strenuous Trail type Hiking only Trail Description This strenuous 0.6 mile trail begins near Main Overlook and ends where it intersects the Grandview Rim Trail, approximately 0.5 mile from Main Overlook. Hikers will find close-up views of towering fortress-like rock walls and exposed coal seams. The Castle Rock Trail and Grandview Rim Trail can make a great one mile loop.
This loop will take hikers below the overhanging cliffs on the Castle Rock Trail and then alongside the outstanding viewpoints on the Grandview Rim Trail.This trail is considered strenuous and is not recommended for young children because of uneven footing and steep drop-offs. To reach trailhead This trail begins near the Grandview Main Overlook and ends as it intersects with the Grandview Rim Trail.
- States
- West Virginia
- Trail type
- National Park & Preserve trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Greensboro, NC · 140 mi · ~4 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 37.8306°, -81.0628°
About New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
This trail is inside New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, a national park & preserve managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/castle-rock-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Castle Rock Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Kates Plateau Trail
5 miles from this trail's centroid
Southside Trail
11 miles from this trail's centroid
Timber Ridge Trail
15 miles from this trail's centroid
Keeneys Creek Rail Trail
15 miles from this trail's centroid
Bridge Trail
17 miles from this trail's centroid
Burnwood Trail Stop 6: How Tree Age is Determined
17 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.