Fayetteville is a small town in the New River Gorge region of West Virginia, sitting at the rim of one of the most spectacular gorges in the eastern United States. The New River Gorge National Park, designated a national park in 2020, draws rock climbers, whitewater rafters, and hikers to what is effectively Fayetteville's backyard. The town itself is small and unpretentious, but it has developed a real infrastructure for outdoor recreation over the decades.
The New River Gorge Bridge, visible from the town, is one of the longest steel arch bridges in the world and carries the highway 267 metres above the gorge floor. Once a year on Bridge Day in October, BASE jumpers leap from it and pedestrians walk across — the only day either is permitted. Year-round, the gorge offers some of the best whitewater rafting in the eastern US, from gentle floats to serious Class V rapids depending on water levels. The climbing at the gorge, particularly on the sandstone walls of the Canyon Rim, has a devoted following among serious climbers.