New River Gorge National River

Birding in the Parks: Not Too Early To Plan To Attend Birding Festivals in the National Park System

Submitted by Kirby Adams on January 17, 2012 - 1:35am

Earlier this month, while we were having positively spring-like weather here in the Midwest, I wrote about Snowy Owls, the most iconic of winter birds. Two weeks later, my world is buried under blankets of snow and I’m in the mood to talk about Spring.

BASE Jumpers Cited For Illegal Leap at New River Gorge National River

Submitted by Jim Burnett on December 15, 2011 - 1:11am

The annual Bridge Day event each October draws thousands of spectators and hundreds of BASE jumpers to New River Gorge National River. Four jumpers who decided to conduct an unauthorized nighttime leap from the famous bridge last week were apprehended and face a variety of charges.

Impressive Volunteer Effort by Boy Scouts at New River Gorge National River

Submitted by Jim Burnett on July 27, 2011 - 11:09pm

The Boy Scout Slogan is "Do a Good Turn Daily," and a small army of Scouts is doing a month's worth of good turns at New River Gorge National River. Visitors will enjoy the results of their efforts on miles of trails for years to come.

With Summer Arriving Tomorrow, Don't Find Yourself In National Park Search-and-Rescue Reports

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on June 20, 2011 - 12:37am

With summer officially getting under way tomorrow, more and more folks will be heading out to the national parks for some summer fun. Just be sure to be careful out there so you don't find yourself added to a search-and-rescue report as these folks were.

Traveler's Gear Box: Hummingbird Gear Cargo Carrier

Submitted by Julie Trevelyan on May 30, 2011 - 12:53am

Spend time playing in the water during your national park excursions? If you paddle in the parks or slither through slot canyons that might offer water hazards, the Hummingbird Gear Cargo Carrier is a pack you might want to consider.

White-Nose Syndrome Confirmed In Bats At New River Gorge National River

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 19, 2011 - 12:39am

Another unit of the National Park System has detected white-nose syndrome in its bat populations.

Summer Special: Choosing A National Park River To Float

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 31, 2011 - 12:45am

So many rivers and so many different paddling experiences can be found in the National Park System. So how do you figure out which one you want to float on your summer vacation?

Summer Special: A Potpourri Of Summertime Adventures In the National Park System

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 27, 2011 - 12:43am

Summer easily is the best time of year to get out and get sweaty in the National Park System, if only because the warmer weather makes more opportunities available. In time to help you plan your summer vacation, here's a potpourri of outdoor adventures in the parks.

New River Gorge National River Proposing Hiking, Biking Trail Improvements

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on February 3, 2011 - 1:33am

Fans of New River Gorge National River who enjoy the park for hiking and biking, as well as for white-water boating or fishing, are being asked to review a plan to improve hiking and mountain biking opportunities in the park.

National Park Mystery Plant 14 Revealed: It's the Devil's Walking Stick

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on November 25, 2010 - 1:59am

The Aralia spinosa acquired its devilish name for good reason

The Value of a View - New River Gorge National River Adds Key Acreage Under Landmark Bridge

Submitted by Jim Burnett on October 31, 2010 - 12:43am

How much is a key landscape in a park worth? It's a lot more than 25 cents, although this particular view is featured on the West Virginia State Quarter in the U. S. Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. An important part of that scene has now been protected with the recent addition of 618 acres to the New River Gorge National River.

Bridge Day 2010 is in the Books at New River Gorge National River

Submitted by Jim Burnett on October 23, 2010 - 11:08pm

On one day each October since 1980, thousands of people have happily accepted the invitation to "take a flying leap" from the longest single-span steel arch bridge in the western hemisphere. The 31st annual Bridge Day was held on October 16, 2010, at New River Gorge National River in West Virginia.

Let's Stay Safe In the National Parks This Summer, Okay?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on June 15, 2010 - 12:58am

Summer's arrival and the height of the vacation season is filling the National Park System with folks and families looking to relax, kick back, and enjoy being together in fabulous settings. Let's just not forget to be safe out there, though.

List of Top 10 Endangered Rivers Includes Two That Flow Through The National Park System

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on June 6, 2010 - 12:46am

American Rivers came out there other day with its top 10 list of endangered rivers, and No. 1 was the Upper Delaware, which flows through the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. No. 3 also falls in the National Park System, the Gauley River around which the Gauley River National Recreation Area rises up from.

Spring is a Great Time To Watch For Migratory Birds in the National Parks

Submitted by Jessica Jones on April 25, 2010 - 12:58am

Spring is a fantastic time to be outdoors. Along with the beauty of plants in bloom, a trip to a national park can reveal mammals emerging from their hibernation and frogs singing up a storm. But the one spring event that brings countless new and life-long nature lovers to our nation’s parks is the return of migratory songbirds.

Spring Is A Good Time To Be Thinking About River Trips In the National Park System

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 19, 2010 - 12:08am

Snowmelt's running around the National Park System, which makes it a perfect time to start thinking about paddling trips in the parks. Here are some ideas, and contacts, that can help you get wet in the months ahead.

Where In the National Park System Will You Venture in 2010?

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on January 10, 2010 - 1:50am

Winter is a great time for planning national park vacations. These suggestions will help you get started in the right direction, whether your interests are mainstream or nontraditional.

New River Gorge National River Proposing Hiking/Biking Trails

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on December 3, 2009 - 12:53pm

As evidence that there's more to meet the eye than just a river, the folks at New River Gorge National River are talking about creating some shared-use trails for hikers and mountain bikers.

Where Can You Find the Best Fall Foliage In the National Park System? Here Are Ten Contenders

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on October 9, 2009 - 2:28am

Where do you go to digitally capture fall colors in the National Park System? The National Park Foundation released a list of the Top 10 parks for fall color the other day, and there are some old stalwarts, and some upstarts as well!

Catwalk Tours at New River Gorge Bridge Will Delight Some and Scare the Hell Out of the Rest

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on October 4, 2009 - 1:35am

The long wait is nearly over. Beginning next year, people with the guts to do it will be able to walk across the New River Gorge on a 30 inch-wide, 3,030 foot-long maintenance catwalk beneath the canyon’s world-famous bridge.

Traveler’s Checklist: New River Gorge National River

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on August 31, 2009 - 3:00am

New River Gorge National River has a lot more than whitewater rafting and views of one of America’s most spectacular bridges. This West Virginia gem also offers auto touring, historic sites, primitive camping, picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, rock climbing, and more.

Traveler's Top 10 Rivers to Ride in the National Park System

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on July 13, 2009 - 1:26am

Sure, the most iconic river in all the land is the Colorado that flows through Grand Canyon National Park. But that doesn't mean you can't find quality river trips elsewhere in the National Park System.

National Park Rangers Find Tasers Efficient Tools In Potentially Combative Situations

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on April 14, 2009 - 11:07am

Rangers at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area were just the latest in the National Park System to resort to the use of a Taser to resolve a potentially combative situation.

National Park Quiz 28: Rivers

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on November 12, 2008 - 2:00am

This week’s quiz deals with rivers flowing within or through the national parks. Answers are at the end. If we catch you peeking, we’ll make you write “Tributaries joining main streams at right angles is a signature feature of trellis drainage” 100 times on the whiteboard.

New River Gorge Bridge Hosted 1,062 BASE Jumps on Bridge Day, and Jumpers Say that is Not Nearly Enough

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on November 3, 2008 - 4:25pm

The 29th annual Bridge Day Festival that was held October 18 on New River Gorge Bridge attracted 155,000 people, including 383 BASE-jumpers. During the course of the day the jumpers collected 1,062 jumps, two fractures, and one impromptu trip (sans raft) through class IV whitewater. Will jumpers get more access to the bridge in the future?

At New River Gorge National River, an Iconic Bridge Attracts Suicide Jumpers

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on September 16, 2008 - 1:00am

In the predawn darkness of September 9, a 25-year old Ohio man leaped to his death from the New River Gorge Bridge at New River Gorge National River. In his car, investigators found a Mapquest map with directions from his home to the bridge. Like many before him, this victim had carefully planned to end his life at an architectural icon far from his home.

Delaware Can Relax; The New National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Series Will Celebrate “National Sites” Too

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on July 26, 2008 - 8:23am

Congress is likely to authorize a national parks quarter dollar coin series. Emulating the popular 50 States Quarter® Program, the proposed series would issue five new park quarters per year beginning in 2010. Each state, territory, and the District of Columbia would be represented. Even Delaware.

Waterfall Along Dunloup Creek

National Park Quiz 3: Bridges

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on May 21, 2008 - 1:43am

Bridges are among the most favored of all human structures. They serve us well, make a bold visual statement, and open the door to a storehouse of memories. Who doesn’t admire the elegant lines of a suspension bridge? Who can look at a covered bridge without thinking of a time when life was simpler and slower and friendlier? This week's quiz will find out how much you know about the bridges and bridge-related things in our national parks. Answers are at the end. No peeking.

Creature Feature: Hellbenders

Submitted by Chance Finegan on April 14, 2008 - 1:30am

Despite their curious name, “hellbenders” are not demons of the night but rather amphibious environmental monitors of Southeastern creeks and streams. Known to some old-timers as “walking catfish,” these super-sized salamanders gained the “hellbender” moniker for their freakish size and dark, moody color.