Beauty Mountain is an upland area of cliffs and boulders along the rim of the New River Gorge four miles east of Fayetteville, West Virginia, in Fayette County. The area is a favorite destination for tourists. Much of the area is located on non-public property within the boundary of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
A popular picnic spot for locals since the area was settled, rock climbers have popularized the location globally. The cliffs provide unmatched overlooks of the New River in its gorge, especially at sunset, when many visitors to the park gather to watch the event. The area part of the most popular rock climbing destinations in the U.S. The cliffs are located with the boundaries of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
The rock layer that forms Beauty Mountain is of the resistant Nuttall Sandstone. Hundreds of climbing routes ascend its face, including some of the highest and most difficult routes in the New River Gorge region. Many house-sized boulders approach the brink of its cliffs.
Areas similar to Beauty Mountain, larger and smaller versions, outcrop elsewhere on the rim of the gorge. The Endless Wall climbing area, the largest, is located to the northwest of Beauty Mountain. As with other climbing areas in the gorge, sandstone with a multitude of vertical cracks and striking features are secondary attractions: the incredible views and the large and active climbing community make the Beauty Mountain area a prime climbing destination.
