Wednesday, October 29, 2025
47.8 F
Beckley
More

    National park seeks volunteer Amtrak tour guides for New River Gorge

    GLEN JEAN, W.Va. – The National Park Service is recruiting volunteers to act as tour guides on the Amtrak route through the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia.

    A new park initiative, the Trails and Rails program Superintendent Charles Sellars the program was ideally suited to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, through which travels.

    “Being a part of Trails and Rails is a natural fit for this park,” Sellars said. “Volunteers with this program have a great opportunity to be a part of a nationwide effort to introduce national parks to train travelers, meet interesting people from all over, and get a free train ride.”

    Trails and Rails is a nationwide program already instituted in other federally managed parks, including Gateway Arch National Park, Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites, and the National Parks of New York Harbor.

    Volunteers will interpret the gorge for travelers between Montgomery, West Virginia, and Hinton, West Virginia. The Cardinal route extends from Chicago to New York City, crossing the Appalachian Mountains through the gorge.

    Volunteer duties will include answering visitor questions, distributing park maps and brochures, and presenting various onboard educational programs that relate to the park's central interpretive theme of preserving the New River Gorge.

    Advertisement

    Program training on communication skills, customer service, and general New River information will be provided.

    Sellards said the step-on tours are expected to launch in September 2024. The ideal volunteer will be able to commit to an eight-hour shift for intermittent days from mid-September into early November.

    Schedules will vary depending on the number of volunteers recruited for the program. Other arrangements may be made for interested individuals willing to commit to fewer hours. Additional details will be provided later as the program develops.

    The Trails and Rails program is a partnership between Amtrak and the National Park Service that provides educational opportunities for travelers on the heritage and natural resources of a specific region while traveling by Amtrak.

    National Park sites across the country host teams of volunteers to help interpret passing historic and natural resources to the passengers.

    Trails and Rails guides learn the nuances of conducting programs using the train's public address system, greeting passengers in the lounge car, and wandering through the train. Volunteers must meet Amtrak's requirements for physical fitness.

    Interested individuals should contact the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve volunteer coordinator Adrienne Jenkins at adrienne_jenkins@nps.gov or 304-465-2634.

    Advertisement

    More information about the Trails and Rails program can be found at . More information on other volunteer positions available with the park service, can be found at .


    Map of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

    Sign up to receive a FREE copy of West Virginia Explorer Magazine in your email weekly. Sign me up!
    David Sibray
    David Sibray
    Historian, real estate agent, and proponent of inventive economic development in West Virginia, David Sibray is the founder and publisher of West Virginia Explorer Magazine. For more information, he may be reached at 304-575-7390.

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here

    Hot this week

    Don’t ignore the winter blues: Seasonal affective disorder is a serious form of depression

    MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As the days grow shorter and...

    West Virginia historic preservation grants open for 2026 applications

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is now accepting applications...

    Blackwater Falls State Park begins online ticket sales for sled run

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia State Parks officials today...

    At 50 years, West Virginia University celebrates its ground-breaking PRT system

    MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The familiar hum of the gold...

    The Pumpkin—a West Virginia tradition steeped in lore

    FLAT TOP, W.Va. — With the exception of corn,...

    Topics

    West Virginia historic preservation grants open for 2026 applications

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is now accepting applications...

    Blackwater Falls State Park begins online ticket sales for sled run

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia State Parks officials today...

    The Pumpkin—a West Virginia tradition steeped in lore

    FLAT TOP, W.Va. — With the exception of corn,...

    Here are 20 things that make wild, wonderful West Virginia famous

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — From the peaks of the Allegheny...

    West Virginia University insect tracker says light pollution threatens rare fireflies

    MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — While rare “synchronous fireflies” are becoming...

    West Virginia University expert shares tips to keep fall mums blooming longer

    MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The brilliant colors of chrysanthemums, or...

    Related Articles

    Popular Categories