Tag: New River Gorge National River

New River Gorge National Park Gets New Signs

The New River Gorge became a national park in December. On Friday, state and local officials unveiled the new highway signs that will direct visitors to it.

On Monday, the West Virginia Department of Highways began placing 87 signs in three counties.

The old signs said “New River Gorge National River,” a designation it received in 1978. The new signs reflect the change to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The 7,000-acre park and 65,000-acre preserve stretches more than 50 miles from Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park.

At the park’s visitors center at Sandstone, Gov. Jim Justice, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Rep. Carol Miller and other dignitaries spoke of the park’s significance to West Virginia.

“This day marks an incredible day,” Justice said. “So many good things are happening in West Virginia, it’s off the chart.”

The New River and nearby Bluestone and Gauley rivers, which are part of the same unit, brought more than 1.3 million visitors to the state in 2019, according to the National Park Service. They contributed nearly $70 million to the state’s economy.

State officials expect the national park designation will draw even more visitors. The state welcomed a record 3 million visitors in June, according to the state Office of Tourism.

“It was a dream of this region of West Virginia,” Capito said. “It was a dream of those who love the river and love our beautiful landscapes who came to both me and Senator (Joe) Manchin and said, ‘Can you make this happen?’”

Capito and Manchin introduced the bill that led to the national park designation in October 2019. Miller introduced the companion bill in the House of Representatives.

The park made Time Magazine’s 100 of the World’s Greatest Places.

“Because we have the bragging rights here in West Virginia,” Miller said. “This is such a beautiful, beautiful spot.”

Beckley Man Is First 2021 Drowning Victim In New River National Park And Preserve

A Beckley man was found dead on Monday afternoon in the New River National Park and Preserve.

Authorities think 25-year-old Rudolpho “Rudy” Cerda drowned sometime over the last few days. His death marks the first drowning in the park this year.

Cerda was last seen alive on Saturday afternoon. According to a news release, he and two other people were looking for a place to fish on the river and were separated. The two individuals discovered Cerda’s shirt and cell phone on the river bank. Park officials and search and rescue crews looked for Cerda into the evening and notified commercial rafting companies. The river was muddy and at above average water levels for this time of year.

The victim’s body was found close to the Cunard river access point about six miles down the river from where Cerda was last seen. Cerda was not wearing a life jacket.

The New River Gorge National Park Service is reminding people that the New River has swift currents, deep holes and a rocky bottom. They say life jackets should be worn in and around the river at all times.

More water safety tips can be found on the National Park Service website.

September 16, 1921: Aviator "Five Dollar Frank" Thomas Born

Aviator Frank Thomas was born at Lansing in Fayette County on September 16, 1921. Known by the nicknames “Flying Frank” and “Five Dollar Frank,” he flew charter trips, guided sight-seeing tours over the New River Gorge, gave flight lessons, searched for downed aircraft with the Civil Air Patrol, spotted forest fires, and did just about everything else connected with aviation.

In 1946, he almost single-handedly built Fayette Airport, which he owned and operated. Weather permitting, he took up one of his planes every day.

By the late 20th century, Thomas had also become an author, a poet, an artist, and a philosopher. His 1978 book, It Is This Way with Men Who Fly, is a fascinating and very personal history of West Virginia aviation. The legendary pilot was a colorful figure in the rise of New River tourism, best known for his $5 tours of the gorge. He kept going well into his 70s. At an age when others had retired, he said he loved flying so much that he hated to leave the field at night.

“Flying Frank” Thomas died in 2001 at age 79.

New River Gorge Gets Grant to Expose More Students to Outdoor Learning

A new grant is expected to help hundreds of students experience nature’s classroom at the New River Gorge.

The nonprofit National Park Foundation awarded the Open Outdoors for Kids grant to the New River Gorge in September. The program supports 132 national parks across the country and the grants aim to boost the connection young have to public lands.

The grant will be used during the 2018/2019 school year and will mostly cover transportation costs. More than 1,500 second and eighth grade students will participate in two new educational curriculums that have been developed by local teachers and park staff.

New River Gorge park superintendent Lizzie Watts said in a press release that national park staff are looking forward to helping students create more meaningful connections with the New River Gorge.

“We are extremely excited to be able to present this wonderful opportunity to our local students,” Watts said. “National parks like New River Gorge National River provide living laboratories for our children to learn about the natural world around them and make connections to the cultural history of the place they call home.”

New River Gorge National River Gets National Grant to Promote Outdoor Recreation

The New River Gorge National River in West Virginia will receive a grant to bolster a partnership aimed at getting local residents involved in recreational activities. 

The National Park Foundation on Wednesday announced 20 grants to enhance the country’s national trails and wild and scenic rivers. The grants totaling more than $500,000 are in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the National Trails and National Wild and Scenic Rivers systems.

In southern West Virginia, the Get Active in the Park program provides free, beginner-level instruction in outdoor activities such as yoga, rock climbing, paddle boarding, hiking and fly fishing.

The program is a partnership between the nonprofit group Active Southern West Virginia and the region’s national parks.

Search Crews Find Body of Missing Swimmer in New River Gorge

The National Park Service began searching for an Illinois man who disappeared while swimming in a rapids area Thursday, August 24th, with friends in West Virginia. His body was retrieved Friday evening.

New River Gorge National River said in a news release Friday that 28-year-old Abdulrahman Binomran of Oak Park, Illinois, was swimming with three friends in the pool above Fayette Station rapids when they decided to swim through the rapids. The release said the friends were able to make it to shore, but Binomran was not and disappeared just downstream. None of the swimmers was wearing a life jacket.

A search began Thursday evening and resumed Friday morning. Trained search and rescue divers from other agencies were also involved. Strong under currents, murky water, and boulders made for difficult searching conditions, but rescue teams were able to find Binomran 18 feet underneath water, pinned under a boulder, not far from where he was last seen. 

The Park Service said New River water levels and conditions change quickly, and flotation devices are essential for safety. The park reports this is the second drowning in two weeks.

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