Gateway to Sandstonia

A Hidden Gem Near Fayetteville

Join our journey to Sandstonia! We are currently fundraising to make our vision your reality...

Location & Access

PLEASE!

Foot traffic only
Day use only
Respect all plants and wildlife
Keep pets on a leash
Clean up after pets
Take only pictures, leave only footprints

Preserve Management Plans

Located just minutes from Fayetteville, this 40-acre preserve will offer 2-3 miles of hiking trails. Rock climbers will have direct access to their favorite climbs while hikers, birders, and other nature enthusiasts will have a more meandering route that will lead them through the varying habitats that this preserve has to offer, including: rhododendron thickets, hardwood forest, and up to the rim of the New River Gorge for some truly incredible views that you can’t get anywhere else!

WVLT is working with NRAC (New River Alliance of Climbers) to open this area to the public with support from donors and volunteers like you.

Future kiosk

Future pavilion

Support the campaign and invest in:

Preserve management and development
Safe recreation access
A welcoming parking area and informative kiosk
A picnic pavilion
A 2-mile birding loop trail
A new shaded trail to Bubba City, Sandstonia, and Kingfish, which will keep you off the sunny powerline.

With a grateful heart, we are thrilled to announce that the new parking area at the Gateway to Sandstonia Preserve has been constructed thanks to our generous friends at NRAC! While there is currently no signage or trails on the preserve, feel free to use the parking area as you venture out to climb at Sandstonia aka Bubba City and Tattoo Wall.

Driving directions:
Approximately 100 yards past the old parking lot (known as Goodluck Cemetery) you will find the newly established parking lot on your left (if you are coming from US-19). There are currently temporary yard signs indicating the entrance to the parking area. Please be aware that the Goodluck Cemetery parking lot is scheduled to be closed, as it is on private property. WVLT’s parking lot is now the only publicly available place to park for access to the Kingfish and Sandstonia climbing areas.