Less than a half mile from America’s newest national park, this outdoor adventure property includes more than 13 landscaped acres near the rim of the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. A half-mile north of the New River Gorge Bridge on the US-19 expressway, the property is home to one of the state’s chief whitewater outfitter basecamps. It’s fewer than two miles from downtown Fayetteville and offers unparalled access to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and the region’s best hiking, biking, paddling, and rock-climbing areas.

ATTRIBUTES AND HIGHLIGHTS

• Outdoor adventure resort property
• Five-acre primitive campground
• Proximity to park trails, climbing routes
• 15 acres adjoining US-19 expressway
• On scenic route beneath New River Gorge Bridge
• 0.5 miles from Canyon Rim Visitor Center
• 0.6 miles from New River Gorge Bridge
• 1.6 miles from Fayetteville, West Virginia

ABOUT THE NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE

The property looks out across the northern district of the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, central to the fastest-growing tourism region in West Virginia. Congress established the 70,000-acre park in 2020, ushering in revolutionary nationwide interest in the region as a destination for travel and residency.

Articles in Time, Vogue, and USA Today have since accelerated interest in the area globally, as has television coverage by major networks. Time magazine named the park among the “World’s 100 Greatest Places.”

Long a renowned destination for hiking, biking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting, it now attracts more than two million visitors annually. Officials predicted an increase of more than 20 percent in visitation in its first year; however, the increase appeared to be nearer 70 percent as of October 2022.

ABOUT TOURISM DEVELOPMENT TAX CREDITS

The property may be eligible for tourism development tax credits and other financial incentives as a result of its proximity to the national park. For further information, contact listing agent or contact the W.Va. Department of Tourism.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 38.076064, -81.069068
Address: 211 Oscar White Road, Lansing, WV 25862
Elevation Range: +/- 1,756 to 1,898 feet above sea level

ABOUT THE PROPERTY

Since the 1990s, this landscaped commercial property has been the home of New & Gauley River Adventures, one of the principal whitewater rafting guide services operating in West Virginia and a driving force in the development of outdoor recreation in the state. It has been developed to take advantage of its location along the US-19 expressway at the corner of Lansing-Edmond Road, an important local route used to access many of the region’s hiking trails and climbing access areas.

Reception Center

A one-story reception center of more than 7,000 square feet houses two offices, a reception area, and a showroom for outdoor apparel. It has long served as the company’s reception center and admistrative offices. A large deck off the showroom acts as an outdoor gathering space and includes a proscenium for speakers. The building includes a half bath and a laundry.

Great Lodge

A three-story lodge building of more than 20,000 square feet includes a dining hall, lower-level tavern, and men’s and women’s shower rooms as well as a one-bedroom dormer apartment. The lower floors open onto decks that overlook the lower property and its bus-parking lot.

Breeze Hill

The home of one of the region’s best known restaurants, this historical cottage has been converted and expanded into an outdoors restaurant. It includes approximately 1,300 square feet on its first floor as well as more than 500 square feet of attic space. In addition to the restaurant building, the property boasts more 2,500 square feet of outdoor gathering space, including a covered performance area and stage of more than 1,300 square feet.

Historic Simms House

Long the home of Emma Simms, this historical two-bedroom, one-bath cottage built in the 1890s has been carefully preserved. It includes approximately 1,300 square feet on its first floor as well as more than 400 square feet of attic space. It has tradionally been used as a vacation rental and staff quarters.

Old Store

Now used for storage, a former one-story, concrete block building of more than 2,000 square feet has been used as a residence for guides. It includes two bedrooms, a kitchen, a full bath, and an unfinished basement. The

Campground

A primitive RV campground has been developed on an eight-acre meadow and woodland ajoining the chief resort buildings. Four camper sites with fire rings and picnic table have been opened along the gravel road leading through the campground.

Other Structures

Several smaller buildings on the property serve as storage areas, repair shops, and as ancelary lodging.

MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia is one of the states in the U.S. that has two ownership titles, those being SURFACE RIGHTS and MINERAL RIGHTS. A title search for mineral rights ownership has not been conducted. All rights the owner has will convey with the property. A mineral title search could be conducted by a title attorney at the same time when the surface title search is being conducted.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

UTILITIES

Water:  Municipal
Sewer: Septic
Electricity:  Appalachian Power
Telephone: Frontier
Internet: Starlink, Frontier, Optima

Cellphone Coverage: Various Carriers

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

Approximately 350 feet of the property extend along Lansing Edmond Road (WV-82), part of the principal route into the New River Gorge beneath the New River Gorge Bridge. A bus-parking entrance has been built off the road extending to the reception building, as has a secondary entrance to the upper property. More than 1,900 vehicles passed the entrance in 2022, according to the W.Va. Dept. of Transportation. At the upper end of the property, more than 1,000 feet front along Oscar White Road, a rural road that ends beyond the property and provides access to its lodge and restaurant.

ZONING

Properties in Fayette County are subject to some zoning and subdivision regulations. All prospective buyers should consult the local government for details regarding zoning and building codes.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The property is commercial and has been operated as a basecamp for one of the state’s chief whitewater rafting guide services since the early 1990s.

DEED AND TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: Deed Book 392 Pg. 555; Deed Book  526, Pg. 697; Deed Book  542, Pg. 147; Deed Book  587, Pg. 328
Fayette County, West Virginia

Acreage: 13.17 acres +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Fayette County (10), West Virginia
New Haven District (1)
Tax Map 50: Parcels 1,2,3,5, 127; Class 3

2022 Real Estate Taxes: $6453.20

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Public school students may attend Ansted Elementary, Ansted Middle School, and Midland Trail High School. The Fayette Institute of Technology is located 15 miles south at Oak Hill. Several private schools operate in the area, and home-schooling programs are supported.

HIGHER EDUCATION

The southern campus of West Virginia University is located 30 miles to the south at Beckley. Satellite campuses of Concord University and New River Community & Technical College are also located at Beckley. Appalachian Bible College is located 25 miles to the south at Bradley. The larger campuses of Marshall University, and West Virginia University, and West Virginia State University are a drive of approximately two hours.

HEALTHCARE

Hospitals with emergency units are located nearby at Oak Hill and Montgomery, 20 and 35 minutes from the property respectively. State medical centers at Charleston and Morgantown are an hour’s drive west and two-and-a-half hour drive north. A Veterans Administration Medical Center is located at Beckley, a drive of half an hour south. Several medical and emergency care clinics serve the upper region, while the area’s moderate climate and access to trails, gymnasiums, and athletic centers support healthy living.

TRANSPORTATION

MOTOR VEHICLE: Interstate expressways 77 and 64 and US-19 join nearby, providing easy access to Richmond, Charlotte, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Washington, D.C. FLIGHT: Yeager Airport, at Charleston, is the largest and busiest flight-service center in the region. RAIL: The Amtrak passenger station at Montgomery is a 20-minute drive from the property and provides direct access to Charleston, Washington, Chicago, and New York City.

Approximate hourly drive times to regional U.S. cities include Charleston, W.Va., 1; Morgantown, W.Va., 2.5; Columbus, Ohio, 2.5; Pittsburgh, Pa., 3.5; Cincinnati, Ohio, 4; Charlottesville, Va., 3.5; Richmond, Va., 4.5; Winston-Salem, N.C., 3.5; Charlotte, N.C.: 4; and Washington, D.C., 5.

CLIMATE

Due partly to the sheltering nature of its narrow valley, the New River sustains a microclimate more typical of warmer, more southerly latitudes  Though it may appear as a large mountain stream, the New has already traveled more than 300 miles from the summits of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina, and it has heated by the time it reaches the gorge.

The gorge is a preferred location for gardens as its warm microclimate accommodates a longer growing season. It remains relatively free of heavier snows that blanket the surrounding highlands. Mean annual precipitation at the property is estimated at 37 to 47 inches, mean annual air temperature at 50 to 52 degrees F, and its frost-free period at 140 to 170 days.

RECREATION

The New River Gorge region is known nationally as a chief destination for rock climbing and whitewater rafting. However, it affords access to a seemingly limitless variety of recreational pursuits now being explored by national park visitors. It invites hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, paddling, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting, and the area accommodates a number of walking and field-sports facilities, including stadiums, playgrounds, and walking and biking trails. Skiing and snow-tubing at Winterplace is an hour’s drive south, and the Snowshoe Mountain ski areas are a two-hour drive to the northeast.

DINING & RETAIL

The property enjoys easy access to the New River Gorge and Kanawha Valley regions and a variety of dining and shopping venues. The greater Fayetteville area is notably home to more than a dozen noteworthy independent restaurants designed to appeal to visitors to the national park. An hour’s drive west, the Charleston metropolitan area boasts the state’s highest concentration of restaurants and retail centers.

SURROUNDING AREA

The property is located in a rural area at the rim of the New River Gorge, the centerpiece of the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. The region is renowned as a destination for outdoor recreation and leisure and vacation residency. As a result of the recent establishment of the national park, the region continues to experience marked residential and commercial growth.

Town of Fayetteville

The property is located near Fayetteville, the seat of justice for Fayette County. Its historic district is both charming and among of the most attractive locations for independent outfitters shops, boutique shops, and specialty restaurants in West Virginia. Its population was estimated at 2,844 in 2021.

City of Oak Hill

Oak Hill is Fayette County’s largest municipality and its economic center. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 7,730. Plateau Medical Center, the largest hospital near the property, is located off the US-19 expressway on Main Street in downtown Oak Hill. The city has recently increased its investment in recreational and quality-of-life improvements and has acquired land for a new outdoor-adventure park approaching the edge of the New River Gorge.

Gauley River National Recreation Area

Twenty-five miles of the lower Gauley River and six miles of the lower Meadow River are protected by the Gauley River National Recreation Area, a chief destination for whitewater paddlers. In autumn, during “Gauley Season,” waters released upstream on Summersville Lake turn the stream into a famous technical run that attracts paddlers from across the world.

The Summit Bechtel Reserve

Home of the National Scout Jamboree and the national leadership center for the Boy Scouts of America, the Summit is one of the national organization’s five high-adventure bases. More than 50,000 visitors attend the jamborees. The Jamboree had been held at Fort A.P. Hill, near Washington, D.C., until the organization chose to relocate the site to the New River Gorge region to accommodate access to outdoor-adventure activities.

Fayette County

Fayette County is located in southern West Virginia, central to the state’s burgeoning New River Gorge tourism region. The county is renowned for its dramatic landscapes, small communities, and outdoor recreation amenities. The New and Gauley rivers course across the county, defined by its gorges and broad, wooded tablelands. Fayetteville is near the midpoint in the county in an area renowned for its expressway access and great natural beauty.

State Parks: Babcock, Hawks Nest, Summersville Lake

West Virginia’s newest state park and two of the most photographed landmarks in West Virginia are located within a half-hour’s drive of the property at Babcock, Hawks Nest, and Summersville. Babcock State Park and its world-renowned Glade Creek Gristmill attract photographers year-round, and Hawks Nest and its overlook of the New River Gorge have been attracting sight-seers since long before Europeans arrived in the region. In 2023, the state unveiled plans to establish a new state park at Summersville Lake, a 20-minute drive north of the property.