David Sibray
A record-breaking 1,000 kayakers are expected to participate in the 14th annual Tour de Coal community float trip Saturday, June 16, on the Coal River, according to organizers. The tour has become so successful that it has spawned Yakfast, a two-day celebration of kayaking that premiers Friday, June 15, at the mouth of the river … Read more
Three state agencies have partnered with the W.Va. Farmers Market Association to host eight farm-to-table dinners in West Virginia state parks. Each will take place at a park restaurant, pairing locally grown produce and products for menu items. The goal of the dinners is to introduce more locally sourced products into restaurant menus, while developing … Read more
Fifty elk will be released “softly” into the mountains of southern West Virginia this summer in an effort to reestablish the animal in its native range, and another 20 calves may be on their way as some of the cows are pregnant, state officials say. Transported from Arizona over the last year, the herd will … Read more
National parks in southern West Virginia attracted more than 1.3 million visitors in 2017 and added more than $78 million to the local economy, according to a visitor-spending analysis. The National Park Service reported today that 1,319,420 guests had visited the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Bluestone National Scenic River, and Gauley River … Read more
Perhaps no month is as ideal as May for whitewater rafting on the New River in West Virginia, if high water and big waves are what you seek. Summery temperatures combine with spring rains in the Alleghenies to ensure rides on the river are as raucous as possible, says an official at one the region’s … Read more
Officials at Burning Rock Off-Road Park near Beckley, West Virginia, today announced a May 2 reopening under new ownership and featuring a new and more accommodating rates system. Pennsylvania-based Rock Crawl Enterprises plans to implement a multi-phase opening over the next several weeks, according to park public relations director Dyane Corcoran. The park includes 106 … Read more
Developers in West Virginia are turning more often to preservation projects as investments, according to an insurer who’s specializing in the insurance of historic properties in the Mountain State. Interest in historic properties is growing across the state, according to Ben Morgan of Morgan Insurance, due in part to a new 35-percent state tax credit … Read more
A new statewide fund has been established to offset development costs for owners of historic properties in West Virginia. The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia announced on Friday the launch of the fund, which will guarantee up to 20 percent of loans for construction, acquisition, and pre-development. The loan can be used in concert with … Read more
While for some folks April and May might seem too cool for a whitewater-rafting trip, college students don’t mind at all and account for a large part of spring rafting enthusiasts, according to the owner of an outdoor-adventure resort on the New River in West Virginia. Students blowing off steam before finals make up a … Read more
Participants in the fifth annual wildflower walk April 7 at Saint Albans City Park in Saint Albans, West Virginia, are invited to join in a variety of programs, including seed-planting, rain-barrel making, and photography workshops and an exhibition featuring live birds of prey. Led by experienced naturalists, registration for the hike begins at 9 a.m. … Read more
