The best part about a Wild Rock home is sharing the wonder and adventure with your friends and family.

The New River Gorge is a hub of outdoor activity, and there are more and more options to enjoy its beauty every year. From calm, low-key nature strolls to high-adventure zip lining tours, there’s something for everyone.

Here are a few of our picks for adventures everyone in the family can enjoy together:

Hiking (and Geocaching)

With trails that snake out into the vast wilderness right from Wild Rock, it’s easy to step outside your door and set off on an adventure. Wild Rock has 3 main trail systems that lead to community parks and ponds, and further out into the forests. The Gorge area has hundreds of trails, all nearby. Hike out to tumbling waterfalls, lush thickets and Gorge-top overlooks.

You can add a destination to your journey with geocaching, an online scavenger hunt game. It gives you GPS coordinates to a “treasure” box that you can uncover. Each is filled with little knick knacks. Take one, then leave another in its place. All you have to do is log into geocaching.com, and you can find directions to hundreds of stashes tucked away in the woods of the Gorge.

Biking

Many of the trails in Wild Rock and in the New River Gorge are bike-friendly. Pedal down flat, winding paths or race through rough mountain terrain. There are trails for every skill level, from mild road paths to steep, obstacle-laden trails.

Does everyone in your group have a bike that can take on the mountain slopes? If not, you can rent bikes affordably from several places around the Gorge, including Adventures on the Gorge resort, Wild Rock’s next-door-neighbors and partners. And, the helpful employees there at River, Rock & Trail Outfitters can help you get everything adjusted perfectly to your height, and give useful tips to first-timers on the trails.

Caving

The striking beauty of the New River Gorge doesn’t stop at the surface! There are chiseled-out cave systems with unique dangling rock formations you can take the family to explore. Shed some light on the deeply-tucked mysteries lying below the national forest. The caves stay a constantly cozy (and just a smidge chilly) temperature year-round, so no matter how scorching or freezing it might be outside, you can escape the elements at Lost World Caverns and other sprawling cave systems.

Horseback Riding

Trek the Gorge trails in complete comfort— take a leisurely ride on horseback. Saddle up and ride with professional guides and their well-trained steeds. They’ll lead your little pack out to catch the best views of the rolling landscape. Even beginners will feel perfectly at ease. Take a full-day, half-day or even a multi-day trip. It might be cliche, but there really is a reason people ride into the sunset: it’s a sight like no other, especially when the day is disappearing on the New River Gorge.

Stand-Up Paddleboarding

A lesser-known activity that the whole family can try is Stand-Up Paddleboarding. Like surfing in flat water, you balance on the board and paddle to pull yourself along. You can also try yoga and other relaxing exercises on your boards, floating calmly around Summersville Lake. And if you take a spill, it’s no big deal. Just hop right back on and try again.

Of course, there are other family-friendly activities, including fishing, boating, birding and ziplining. But, hey, you’ve got time for all that. Grab a partner or a group, and explore everything the Gorge has to offer!