4:00 to 6:00 pm.
1 mile.
Meet at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s Glade Creek trailhead parking area at the end of Glade Creek Road across New River from Prince. Take a walk on the wild side to discover the remains of one of the gorge’s largest logging towns, Hamlet. This is an off-trail adventure. 10 participant limit. Reservations required: email darien_salazar@nps.gov.
Haunted History Hike
7:00 to 9:00 pm.
2 miles.
Meet at New River Gorge National River’s Rend Trail parking area on Route 25 near Thurmond. Hear legends and stories from Appalachia into the dark of night. Program not recommended for children under nine years old. Bring a flashlight. 20 participant limit. Reservations required: email jodi_french-burr@nps.gov.Saturday,
September 25, 2021
Red Ash Bike ‘n Hike (Bike Your Park Day)
9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
7.0 miles
Meet at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s Southside Trailhead next to the Brooklyn primitive campground, one mile upstream of the Cunard River Access, Cunard. Mountain bike with a ranger on the Southside Trail and learn about the once-thriving coal towns of Red Ash and Rush Run. Pedal along this old railroad line and stop along the way to hike to a cemetery and coke ovens. Bikes will be available. 15 participant limit. Reservations required: call 304-254-8488 or www.activeswv.org/events.
Glade Creek Grist Mill Informal
10:00 am to 12:00 pm AND 1:00 – 6:00 pm.
Stop by Babcock State Park’s Glade Creek Grist Mill, Clifftop. Come and go as you please to see the Glade Creek Grist Mill inside and out. The miller will be on-hand for informal discussions about the history of this structure and how the mill works.
History Helper Workshop: Cemetery Cleaning
10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Meet at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s Grandview Sandbar river access parking next to the campground; follow Glade Creek Road across the New River from Prince for one mile then turn left down to the river access. Join National Park Service staff and the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia for a cemetery clean-up at the historic Royal Cemetery. Learn why and how we care for cemeteries using historic preservation maintenance methods. Wear clothes that can get dirty; all materials will be provided. 10 participant limit. Reservations required by Sept. 21: email moira_gasior@partner.nps.gov.
Early Farm Life Sampler:
See what life would have been like for some of the earliest European settlers in the area on visits to historic farmsteads.
- Richmond-Hamilton Farm: 1:00 to 2:30 pm. 0.5 miles; meet at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s Richmond-Hamilton farm site near Hinton; take River Road/WV 26 off Hinton Bypass on the south end of Hinton, travel 2.0-miles to farm site on left (no sign for farm). Come and go as you please for this informal subsistence farm tour, plus take a close-up look at traditional Appalachian toys.
- Trump-Lilly Farm: 3:00 to 4:30 pm. 0.5 miles; meet at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s Trump-Lilly Farm Site near Hinton; take River Road/Rt. 26 off Hinton Bypass on the south end of Hinton, cross Madams Creek then turn left onto small, gravel Freezeland Mountain Rd./WV Route 26/3 (the road is small and rugged), travel 2.5-miles to farm site on right. Discover what life was like on a southern Appalachian subsistence farm during the early 1900s. Historic home and farm outbuildings help paint a picture of the past. 15 participant limit. Reservations required: email charles_wray@nps.gov.
Behind the Scenes: Park Archives Tour
3:00 to 4:30 pm.
Meet at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s Glen Jean Bank Building, directly across the street from park headquarters in Glen Jean. Want to see what is hidden in the park archives? Join a National Park Service museum technician inside the park archives to see historic objects, learn how to care for such treasures, and how to think like a curator. 10 participant limit. Reservations required: email jessica_lynch@partner.nps.gov.
Country Roads Walk
5:30 to 7:00 pm.
1.5 miles
Meet at Pipestem Resort State Park’s Park Headquarters, Pipestem. Explore the area’s pre-park history on this walk to old farm sites, foundations and more painting a picture of the past.
Sunday, September 26, 2021
Nuttallburg Headhouse Hike
10:00 am to 12:30 pm.
2 miles
Meet at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s Short Creek parking area on Beauty Mountain Road, Lansing. See the area’s most intact 1920s-era headhouse and coal conveyor in the New River Gorge on this hike to the Nuttallburg mine. 20 participant limit. Reservations required: email jodi_french-burr@nps.gov.
Glade Creek Grist Mill Informal
10:00 am to 12:00 pm AND 1:00 – 6:00 pm.
Stop by Babcock State Park’s Glade Creek Grist Mill, Clifftop. See description on September 25.
Camp Brookside: Return to the Isle of Fun
1:00 to 2:00 pm.
1 mile
Meet at Camp Brookside near Hinton at 309 North Mullens Road; get off I-64 at the Hinton/Sandstone Exit (exit 139), head south towards Hinton on Route 20 South for 5 miles, at Brooks turn right on North Mullens Road, make a quick left after crossing the railroad tracks and follow the dirt road to Camp Brookside. Explore this classic 1950s-era summer camp along New River. 20 participant limit. Reservations required: email sheila_malone@nps.gov.
Appalachian Tradition: Hands-on Quilting
2:30 to 4:30 pm.
Meet at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s Canyon Rim Visitor Center picnic shelter, Lansing. Discover one of Appalachia’s oldest traditions by exploring the history and techniques of quilting. Come and go as you please and try your hand at basic stitching to help create a lasting piece of art.
