Free guided hikes and other outdoor activities will be offered on public lands across West Virginia on Saturday, June 1, 2019, in recognition of National Trails Day.

Begun in 1993 by the American Hiking Society as a way to introduce people to trails in their area, National Trails Day drew nearly 110,000 people in 50 states to nearly 1,200 hikes and other activities.

This year, National Trails Day events will take place at more than a dozen West Virginia locations, including four in Kanawha State Forest.

Two of the Kanawha State Forest hikes start at 9 a.m., including an easy walk along Spotted Salamander Trail, a wheelchair accessible pathway through a wetland area and along a section of Davis Creek. Carl McLaughlin, historian and hike leader, will recount the role the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps played in creating the state forest.

Other National Trails Day events will take place at:

* Chief Logan State Park: a 2.5-mile walk on Rattlesnake-Coal Mine Trail led by park naturalist Lauren Cole, starting at 9 a.m. from the park’s Activities Building. Participants will receive commemorative patches and certificates.

* Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted: Active Southern West Virginia Community Captain Jacki Wright will lead a 3-mile hike along Cliffside Trail starting from the Midland Trail Picnic Shelter near the lodge, at 10 a.m.

* New River Gorge National River, Kaymoor: A 1.6-mile hike on Butchers Branch Trail led by Active Southern West Virginia volunteers starts at 9 a.m. from the Kaymoor Top parking area off Kaymoor No. 1 Road.

See complete list…

West Virginia was founded in the midst of the American Civil War, the only state to form by separating from a Confederate state. An enabling act was approved by President Abraham Lincoln admitting West Virginia to the Union, on the condition that a provision for the gradual abolition of slavery be inserted in its constitution. President Lincoln issued a proclamation admitting the 35th state on June 20, 1863.

The capitol of the state of West Virginia is Charleston, and the state Capitol buildings can be found in the eastern end of the city along the banks of the Kanawha River. It was there that I found myself on May 11, 2018.

I was born in Charleston and lived most of my adult life in the vicinity. It wasn’t until I was nearly 50 that I relocated to North Carolina. For years my 91-year-old father has been attending a board meeting in Charleston, so when he asked me to help him get there for the 2018 meeting, I took advantage of the opportunity to visit the state of my birth for the first time since 2003.

While his meeting was in progress, I found myself meandering the Capitol grounds, refreshing my memories of sights and history I have learned about since my youth. The Capitol building itself is quite remarkable, stately and architecturally profound, built during the 1920s. The ornate dome is gilded with extremely bright and shiny gold leaf.

On the grounds you will also find the Governor’s Mansion and the Cultural Center, a museum and theater that reflects the history of proud Mountaineers. There are nearly a dozen monuments, honoring war veterans and heroes, the coal miners who sustained the state, and of course the gallant and brave Mountaineer. Controversially, there is also still a statue of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, a Confederate general and West Virginia native who was killed at the height of the Civil War.

Following is a pictorial essay of my day at the West Virginia State Capitol. Please feel free to share any comments you may have, and thanks for visiting.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

North Central West Virginia is known for world-class hiking for every skill level. There are a number of picturesque trails winding through forest, across ridge lines or to peaks with stunning views of the surrounding hills.

Rail trail systems exist in many West Virginia counties, including Harrison and Marion. At Prickett’s Fort State Park, the rail trail goes through the Meredith Tunnel. This site is perfect for hikers who are also history buffs, as the park features a reconstruction of the fort that served as a place of refuge in colonial times.

The best hiking opportunities in Lewis County can be found at Stonewall Jackson Lake Resort. Hikers can see vegetation, including forest and wildflowers, along with many species of wildlife.

A trip to Taylor County will lead to Tygart Lake State Park. There, hikers can meander through the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. The Dogwood Trail, named for the dogwood trees hikers will pass in the forest, begins near the Tygart Lake Lodge opposite the Dam Trail. The trail navigates a ridge with views that are simply amazing.

The popular Cooper’s Rock State Forest is located off of Interstate 68 near Bruceton Mills. The forest spans territory in both Monongalia and Preston counties and is a short drive from Morgantown.

Learn even more here…

The department issued an emergency closure order affecting land in Giles County and Montgomery County in Virginia, and Monroe County in West Virginia.

According to a release from the Forest Service, the closure order “was enacted to protect public safety due to hazards associated with constructing the Mountain Valley Pipeline.”

The order is set to last for 12 months and prohibits going into or to be upon Forest Service lands within 200 feet of the centerline of the pipeline right-of-way, excluding the footpath of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and Brush Mountain East Road.

Also off-limits are access roads Mountain Valley will use during construction. It will be prohibited to operate, park, leave, or simply possess a vehicle on Mystery Ridge Road for its entire length, and Pocahontas Road from the first Forest Service gate to the intersection with Mystery Ridge Road.

The forest service says the Appalachian Trail, which will be crossed by the approximately 300-mile natural gas pipeline, will stay open during construction.

Any federal, state, or local officer, as well as any member of an organized rescue or firefighting force engaged in the performance of an official duty, will be exempt from the order, as well as anyone working under a permit issued by federal, state, or local regulatory entities that authorize activity within the area.

Dozens of Arizona elk will soon roam southern West Virginia’s reclaimed coal fields, bugling a call of the wild not heard in the Mountain State since the Civil War.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission last year voted to send 60 elk to help the effort. In late January a team of wildlife managers and volunteers captured and quarantined the animals at a state wildlife viewing area in the piñon-juniper scrublands between Flagstaff and Winslow.

The animals will head east on a double-decker cattle truck once they’re confirmed to be disease-free.

A subspecies of elk thrived in eastern states until 19th-century development and unregulated hunting wiped out the herds.

Restoring native fauna is “every wildlife biologist’s goal,” West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Stephen McDaniel said while a helicopter ferried lightly sedated and blindfolded elk one at a time from the hills to a holding corral.

Arizona’s gift is an echo of the one that it received more than a century ago from Yellowstone National Park.

Hunting and ranching had killed off the Southwest’s native Merriam’s elk by 1906. A decade later Arizona received its first shipment of Rocky Mountain elk from Yellowstone. Those elk and subsequent transplants grew by the thousands during the second half of the 20th century, and after the turn of this century, Arizona has been donating to other states.

Read full story…

An almost forgotten railroad could become a big part of a new trail for hikers, bicycle enthusiasts, and horseback riders that are interested in exploring the mountains and forests of Mercer and Summers counties in West Virginia.

Mercer County and neighboring Summers County are working on plans to develop hiking trails and water trails. The hope is that an old railroad right of way going through part of Mercer County will form a connection with trails in Summers County and beyond. This former railroad line was mostly forgotten until its existence became part of negotiations in the 1990s.

“That railroad line and the right of way for it connects Mercer County and Summers County at Pipestem State Park,” the Mercer county commissioner said. “It also extends out to Camp Creek State Park; it’s a network. So we’re working together with Camp Creek State Park, Pipestem State Park and Summers County to develop a larger network of hiking, mountain bicycle trails and equestrian trails on this way.”

Summers County is working to develop its trails, too. Their County Commissioner said he was looking at the Great Eastern Trail, which parallels the Appalachian Trail in Giles County, Va. The Great Eastern Trail and the Mary Draper Ingles Trail run to Bluestone Lake together. The Mary Ingles Trail then goes down the New River while the Great Eastern Trail turns up the Bluestone River Gorge.

Read full story…

The Mountain Valley Pipeline, spearheaded by EQT Corporation, is proposed to carry fracked natural gas for over 300 miles through the Virginia and West Virginia countryside, crossing over dozens of water sources, through protected areas and breaching the A.T. corridor. The pipeline will run parallel to the Appalachian Trail for over 90 miles and carve ugly gashes in the landscape that will be seen from 20 miles away.

The proposed pipeline route would require the creation of a 125-foot swath up and down steep slopes in hazardous areas, which would destroy thousands of acres of pristine forest, visible for 60 miles away. Multiple iconic viewpoints in Virginia will be severely impacted, including Angels Rest, Kelly Knob, Rice Fields, and Dragons Tooth — some of the most visited and photographed locations on the entire A.T.

To accommodate the visual and environmental damage that would be caused by the Mountain Valley Pipeline, the U.S. Forest Service would also need to lower the Jefferson National Forest Management Plan standards for water quality, visual impacts and the removal of old-growth forest. Modifying the forest management plan will open the door for Mountain Valley Pipeline to destroy heritage landscapes and disregard public interests.

Situated on land that is unstable, crossing over a known and active seismic zone, the risk of severe erosion, landslides and pipeline failure are extremely high. Such instability also poses a high likelihood of natural gas leaks, which could poison the surrounding environment and contaminate the drinking water used by nearby communities.

Learn more here…

Winters filled with an abundance of snow have created a serene mountain setting ideal for skiing and snowshoeing while rugged terrain leaves hikers and mountain bikers with exciting and challenging trails sure to test their ability. And the unique and diverse beauty of nature in the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area is a backpacking favorite. Whatever your source of thrill, no matter the time of year, Tucker County will serve as the perfect backdrop.

On the Allegheny Plateau is the beautifully diverse Dolly Sods Wilderness. Due to a logging craze that occurred several centuries ago and an unusual climate, this stretch of land is home to rocky plains and grassy meadows, muddy bogs and damp swamps, breathtaking vistas, and plant life similar to that of northern Canada.

The unique land formations that vary from one mile to the next make for the perfect hike, lasting anywhere from several hours to several days. For a longer trip with one of the best overlooks in the region, Lions Head hike takes you on a three-day, two-night hike with over 2,500 feet of elevation gain on your way to a majestic rock formation resembling, you guessed it, a lion’s head righteously protecting to his mountains and valleys below.

Read full story…

It started out of desperation.

Winter is a hard time for my son, Max. He has autism, which means he hates any break in routine — and winter has a knack for screwing up schedules.

And not unlike most 10-year-old boys, Max is a tightly-wound ball of kinetic energy. He literally bounces off the walls during the winter. Sometimes, we get in the car and drive around, just to get out of the house.

So last January, I signed us up for the 100-mile hiking challenge in the New River Gorge. I thought hiking 100 miles over the next few months would be a good way to kill time.

I didn’t realize how the experience would change me. It reminded me what I love so much about West Virginia — its unique history, natural beauty and authentic people.

Hiking with Max became a metaphor for how we can approach the challenge of living here. I learned that our so-called weaknesses can be turned into strengths.

All it takes is the willingness to look at things in a different way.

Read full story…

Outdoor enthusiasts and history buffs follow the historic railroad grade through the canyon from Thomas to the Limerock trail, seven miles away and beyond. A lush forest of red spruce, sugar maple, eastern hemlock and yes, poison ivy, surrounds the trail.

In the North Fork, a major tributary to the Blackwater, beautiful orange and red river rocks line the bottom of the canyon resembling a landscape of Arizona sandstone, but these are actually the stain of iron rich waters from legacy coal mining.

Friends of the Blackwater is group of dedicated individuals who have been working with the U.S. Forest Service with funding from the National Forest Foundation to enhance the recreation opportunities in the canyon. Their work will restore the old railroad grade for hikers, bikers, and kayakers who access the forest and river.

In the next year their work will continue along the Canyon Rim Trail of the Blackwater Canyon, extending and improving another five to seven miles of trail.

Read full story…