Tag: Camp Brookside

New River Gorge Bridge to Camp Brookside Area Under Repair

The bridge that provides the only road access to the Camp Brookside area of New River Gorge National River in West Virginia has been closed for repairs.

The National Park Service says the shutdown began Thursday and is expected to last five weeks.

While the repairs are underway, the public won’t be able to access the trailhead and river access point located just outside the entrance gate to Camp Brookside Environmental Education Center. The center will also be closed while the repairs are being made.

The park says as Camp Brookside begins to be used more frequently, work is needed to maintain the bridge for heavier use.

The park says the project will ensure safe access for future visitors and provide access for emergency services personnel.

National Parks Service Opens Environmental Education Camp

A camp for environmental education is now open to the public in Summers County, West Virginia.

The Register-Herald reports that Camp Brookside celebrated its opening Saturday afternoon.

National Park Service District Supervisor David Bieri says the camp is opening as a residential center and environmental education center for locals.

He says Camp Brookside will feature day camps and overnight activities for children. It will also include activities such as paddle board lessons, Tai Chi, hikes, yoga and more.

The camp was formerly an employee camp for Union Carbide employees from Alloy, West Virginia. It was bought by the National Parks Service in 1993 and was restored thanks to funds by West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd, who died in 2010.

National Park Service Opening Environmental Education Center

The National Park Service is opening an environmental education center in southern West Virginia.

The New River Gorge National River says in a news release that a grand opening celebration will be held May 21 for the new Camp Brookside center in the Summers County community of Brooks. The event is free and open to the public.

Camp Brookside opened in 1947 as a children’s summer camp for Union Carbide employees in Alloy. The National Park Service bought the site in 1993 and recently renovated it to serve as an overnight facility and environmental education center for the park and surrounding communities.

The facility can house up to 38 overnight guests with seven cabins, a wash house with showers and a large hall with a commercial kitchen.

Camp Brookside to Become Education Institute?

The National Park Service is hoping to turn a renovated Camp Brookside in Brooks in to a future education institute.

The camp was originally built in the 1940s as a summer camp for children of Electro Metallurgical Company workers in Alloy. It was bought by the National Park Service in 1993.

Officials received funding in 2012 to restore the mess hall, seven cabins and the caretaker’s residence. Those restorations are nearing completion.

The National Park Service hopes to turn the site into a facility to address community and higher education needs such as a base camp for field research.

The Beckley Register-Herald reports that the decision to use the renovated camp as an educational facility stemmed from a roundtable meeting last week in Hinton.

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