Graeme Jagger I March 9th, 2021

National parks play a large part in preserving our nation’s rich history and natural beauty. The newest one has just opened up in Southeastern West Virginia. River Gorge National Park has more than 53 miles of free flowing whitewater, and the area also supports a 13 mile system of mountain biking trails and over 1,000 rock climbing routes to choose from.

The process of becoming a national park is not an easy one; there is a very strict list of qualifications that may be difficult to meet. These requirements are as follows: an outstanding example of a particular type of resource, an exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the natural or cultural themes of our Nation’s Heritage, it offers superlative opportunities for recreation and for public use, and it retains a high degree of integrity as a largely untouched version of that resource.

The newest park in West Virginia represents a beautiful example of West Virginia woodland as well as beautiful river gorges representing the complex beauty of natural West Virginia.

This park was created in December of 2020 as part of the government stimulus package that went to programs across the nation. The hope is that this new park will help boost West Virginia’s economy as well as becoming a new source of tourism, bringing people from all over the world to explore this beautiful region.

References

https://thepointsguy.com/news/what-to-know-new-river-gorge-national-park/

http://npshistory.com/brochures/criteria-parklands-2005.pdf

https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/national-parks/new-river-gorge-new-national-park