For those who want to feel fit and take in some breathtaking natural scenery, Southern West Virginia offers several popular hiking trails.
Hundreds of tourists and locals are taking advantage of scenic trails during the summer season, according to Angie McCutcheon, a former park ranger with the New River Gorge National River of the South District at Hinton and Grandview.
A history and nature hike features two popular attractions: the old towns of Glade, located on the railroad side of New River south of Horseshoe Bend, and Hamlet, located near the trailhead of the Glade Creek Trail.
McCutcheon noted that Glade and Hamlet originally were connected by a railroad bridge that crossed the New River. The piers of the old bridge are still visible from the main overlook at Grandview.
The park ranger offers a history and botany trip along an old railroad grade, once used by the various companies timbering in the Glade Creek Gorge.
The trips are scheduled on Saturdays, usually the second Saturday of the month, during the summer season.
“They call this a pristine area of the gorge,”McCutcheon explained of the scenic sights. “It is relatively inaccessible by vehicle. It allows you to view parts of the New River Gorge in a way that it may have appeared to the early pioneers and settlers.
“It also provides an opportunity for hikers to learn more about the plants of the area and their use. We provide a lot of information about these plants and their medicinal use during the time of the early settlers, who learned about the plants from the Native Americans.”
The hike lasts about two hours and covers about three miles round trip, the park ranger said.
“Miles of trails within the New River Gorge National River and along area state parks offer an excellent means of discovering New River Gorge history, as well as its plant and animal life,” McCutcheon added.
“Trails feature old coal towns, waterfalls, geological formations, and scenic views of the gorge.
“A few trails permit mountain biking and horseback riding. The old mountain thoroughfares also offer some of West Virginia’s best and most scenic trails for health and pleasure hiking.’’
New River Gorge National River was established in 1978 to preserve and protect 53 miles of the New River as a free-flowing waterway.
Located in Southern West Virginia, this park encompasses 62,000 acres of land along the New River between the towns of Hinton and Fayetteville. The park and the surrounding area are rich in cultural and natural history, offering abundant scenic and recreational opportunities.