The New River’s great paddling miles will have added status under their new national park designation.
One of the region’s most spectacular and most treasured river areas took on new status and new protections early this year, when West Virginia’s New River Gorge National River was upgraded to park-and-preserve as part of the January Congressional stimulus package.
The central attraction of the Gorge is 53 miles of free-flowing New River, flanked by 1,000-foot cliffs in some areas in a 7,021-acre park that is already home to a visitor center and many trails. The new designation will result in more than 65,000 additional acres being designated a national preserve.
New River becomes the nation’s 63rd national park, moving up from being one of just four national rivers. The New River becomes one of only five national park-national preserve combinations in the park service, with the other four all being in Alaska.
For more information as changes are implemented: nps.gov/neri
The story above appears in our March/April 2021 issue.
