The annual Bridge Day will be this Saturday at the New River Gorge in Fayette, County West Virginia. The event is held the third Saturday every October. The event commemorates the 1977 opening of the New River Gorge Bridge. All four lanes of traffic are closed and this is the only day of the year that pedestrians are allowed out on the bridge.

Last year around 800 base jumpers jumped off of the New River Gorge Bridge into the New River Gorge. The bridge is 876 feet above the New River Gorge. There is also rappeling down into the gorge from the bridge. Back in the early 1990’s they had bungee jumping but after two years banned it because of too many injuries.

Over the years three people have died base jumping off the bridge into the gorge. The first year for Bridge Day was 1980. The event has been held every year except for 2001 when it was cancelled due to concerns after 9/11.

Last year was the first time I attended Bridge Day and it was great fun. I enjoyed watching the base jumpers. The best vantage point it to go down into the gorge and watch them jump towards you. The old narrow road that goes down into the gorge is closed off to traffic too that day the only way you can get down there is to walk or pay a small fee and get a bus that drops you off and picks you up {highly recommended} I won’t be able to go back this year for the event but I am planning on going back again in the future. They generally get around 80,000 there that day. It didn’t seem crowded though. A lot of people come for a couple hours and leave. I stayed the entire time last year. I could watch those jumpers all day without getting bored. I would never want to do the base jumping though. Not the risk taking type.