New River Gorge Bridge Walk

For most people, taking a 1,000-yard walk isn’t that big of a deal. But what if it’s on a 24-inch grated catwalk that’s 876 feet above the New River? What if it’s also 25 feet below the third-highest bridge in the country and, due to the structural nature of bridges, shudders and bumps (a little) as you walk? It’s no wonder the tagline for West Virginia’s Bridge Walk is “For the Walk of Your Life.”

Just one of a very few harnessed bridge walks in the world, this one takes you underneath Lansing, West Virginia’s New River Gorge Bridge as cars and 18 wheelers zoom by overhead. Harnessed guests clip into a continuous safety line (the world’s longest) that runs the length of the 3,030-foot walk.

The experience is surprisingly accessible, and among the Bridge Walk’s nearly 80,000 clients have been walkers as young as 6 and as old as 95 (and, to date, only 241 have turned back and not completed the walk). It can accommodate wheelchairs and, covered by the roadway above, the Bridge Walk is also open year-round.

With the Bridge Walk as a centerpiece of your long weekend, be sure to explore the surprisingly progressive food scene in nearby Fayetteville. The Cathedral Cafe & Bookstore whips up fabulous breakfasts to fuel your day, while post-adventure beers and fusion German street food at the Arrowhead Bike Farm and Campground are a must.

Nearby, Adventures on the Gorge offers an array of lodging options, as well as some dining and nightlife and a host of other adventures to choose from, including climbing, hiking, mountain and trail biking and the operation’s signature white water rafting tours.

57 County Route 85/9, Lansing, West Virginia, 304/574-1300, bridgewalk.com