Americas Newest National Park: An introduction to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
I’m somewhat of a National Park enthusiast. To date, I’ve visited over 30 NPS sites and had the privilege of working in both Yellowstone and Sequoia National Park. Having been a visitor to so many, I'm often asked “What's your favorite National Park?” While they're all amazing in their own right, I can now say with pride that the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is without a doubt my favorite.
Deep in the hills of southern West Virginia, contrary to its name, lies one of the oldest rivers in the world. The New River has worn a deep and grand gorge through this stretch of the Appalachian Mountains, and has provided us with one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. In January 2021, the National Park Service officially announced that 70,000 acres of land and 53 miles of the New River would be preserved for future generations as a National Park and Preserve.
With only 63 National Parks in the United States, visiting all the places with this prestigious title has become a major bucket list item for many people including myself! What does this mean though? I had the privilege of speaking with New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s District Supervisor of Interpretation, Dave Bieri to find out!
Mr. Bieri oversees the park's interpretation program, meaning the education of park visitors through the park's 4 visitor centers, brochures, exhibits, and education programs with local schools. Dave has worked with NPS for 25 years, and spent the last 13 of those in the Greater New River Gorge area. With all his experience, Dave was able to help explain what exactly a National Park and Preserve is. Simply put, a National Park is an area of land set aside by congress, designated for recreation, and protected by the US government for future generations. The New River Gorge differs from most National Parks by also being classified as a National Preserve. In most National Parks it is illegal to hunt within park boundaries, but at the New River Gorge large areas of land have been designated as a preserve specifically for this recreational activity.
Dave also went on to tell me about how this prestigious title has influenced park visitation. Since being declared a National Park, Dave told me not only has visitation increased but the type of visitor has changed. While formally designated as a National River it was presumed mostly local people or travelers passing through stopped, and spent about a day in the area. Now the park is seeing outdoor enthusiasts from all over the country visiting for multiple days at a time. Park programs, like the Junior Ranger program, are seeing more participants than ever. According to Dave, the park used to pass out about 2 Junior Ranger badges per day and that's grown to be over 20 a day! The first-come, first-serve campgrounds used to have ample sites available, and are now being filled as soon as they are vacated! The National Park Service is also hoping to grow the infrastructure within the park as well. With larger parking lots and better trail maintenance, they will be able to cater to the growing number of park visitors.
All of these new visitors are bound to overflow into the towns surrounding the National Park. Towns like Fayetteville, Hinton, and Thurmon should start experiencing the positive side of this tourism with an increase of visitation and business! At least that's what West Virginians are hoping for, that park visitors will want to spend time and money in these towns at the local shops and restaurants! Independent whitewater rafting and outdoor adventure outfitters should also start seeing an increase in business, especially during Gauley Season. This change might also bring light to one of West Virginia’s most unique and famous events, Bridge Day! The third Saturday of October should be considered a state holiday in my book. The New River Gorge Bridge is closed to traffic on this day every year as people from far and wide gather for one of the largest base jumping festivals in the world! Already one of the largest events known to West Virginia, with the addition of the National Park title attendance should be boosted for years to come!
When ending our conversation I asked Dave if he had any parting advice. In addition to just getting out to enjoy all the beauty West Virginia and the New River Gorge has to offer, Dave wanted to tell everyone “not to limit themselves to just the popular hiking trails”. With over 100 miles of trails, a scenic river, and breathtaking mountain views there are so many beautiful places to enjoy at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. For a more in depth look at all there is to do at this astounding park, keep a lookout for my next blog about the New River Gorge by following Mountaineer Media on social media and subscribing to the newsletter!
