Kates Plateau Trail
in West Virginia
Labeled (3) on the Glade Creek Trails map Length 5.1 miles/8.21 km (Round-trip) Difficulty Strenuous Trail type Hiking only Trail Description Look for signs of beaver, deer, and turkey as you follow old logging roads. The 5.1 mile trail passes through fields, forests, and near wetlands. Initially the trail passes under Interstate 64, then crosses Kates Branch.
The creek crossing of Kates Branch can be challenging and involves some steep terrain. The trail is marked by blazes through the forest and includes one steep section. Note The southern section of the Kates Plateau Trail that connects Upper Glade Creek to the Kates Plateau Loop is currently closed due to a slide.
To reach the trailhead from Upper Glade Creek The access from Glade Creek is currently closed due to a slide. To reach trail from the Polls Plateau Trail Take I-64 to exit 133 (Bragg). Exit the highway and head north for 0.8 miles, following the main road.
- States
- West Virginia
- Trail type
- National Park & Preserve trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Greensboro, NC · 136 mi · ~3.9 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 37.7857°, -81.0003°
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/kates-plateau-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 Kates Plateau 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
Castle Rock Trail
5 miles from this trail's centroid
Southside Trail
14 miles from this trail's centroid
Keeneys Creek Rail Trail
18 miles from this trail's centroid
Timber Ridge Trail
18 miles from this trail's centroid
Bridge Trail
20 miles from this trail's centroid
Burnwood Trail Stop 5: Characteristics of Old Trees
21 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.