new river gorge

Our itinerary for the big girls’ trip centered around New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. It’s a stunning region — as it has been for eons. It’s also the newest park designee in the NP System. Guido, our rafting trip leader, couldn’t resist a poke. “Call it a national park and people come out of the woodwork!”

Yup. We are those people.

Over weeks, I researched the region, trying to determine how to spend a few days with the girls. It wasn’t easy to decipher. Adventure activities are dispersed through mountainous terrain where travel time and distance can be deceiving. Conveniently located full-service campgrounds were elusive.

However, one domineering and stunning landmark helped us center on Summersville and Fayetteville. Because, the bridge! We set our sights on the Bridge Walk and, hopefully, white water rafting.

I tried to ignore the fluttering in my stomach whenever I considered the bridge. Traversing more than 3,000 feet along a narrow catwalk hanging 850 feet above the New River Gorge is not just a walk in the park!

It seems everyone had some hesitation — yet no one wanted to bail. I’m so glad we pressed on. In a word: amazing. The views were glorious, and nothing compares to the shared sense of accomplishment in pushing past fears!

Two days later, we embarked on a white water rafting trip with Adventures on the Gorge. To be honest, this also gives me pause, especially when responsible for grands. Several companies operate in the park; we relied on the campground staff to point us in the right direction. They gave great advice!

In the ultra-intense heat of mid-July, the river was low and flow rather slow. Even so, it was a great day, including a surprisingly complete picnic lunch, guided by a marvelous boat leader, Linda, not to mention our trip leader’s quirky humor. We thank God for every small favor on our journey.

As a WV native, Linda was a treasure trove, pointing out ruins, sharing stories of coal mining towns and characters long since lost to history. She made every effort to ensure the girls had a blast, demonstrating how to somersault off the raft and rigging an ingenious nylon “ladder” to aid reboarding. I think they enjoyed swimming and playing in calm pools every bit as much as the thrill of riding rapids.

At one point during a swimming party, one of the girls lost her balance, fell back into the raft, and lost a tooth! It had been bothering her — and by extension, all of us — for days. She’d wiggled it to distraction. She’d have liked Pops to pull it, if only he would. When it suddenly popped out, Anna Bea was surprised, then delighted, and grateful — as were we!

This was, Linda said, the first “lost tooth” in her raft over decades of guiding. The guides agreed this qualified Anna for honorary citizenship of the state. This set of a round of WV jokes among the local guides idling at the swimming hole.

Q: How do you know the Tooth Fairy is from WV? A: Otherwise, it’d be the Teeth Fairy.

Just saying, it was a moment. :=)

We hit 3 National Park visitor centers, winding back roads and byways through this lovely region. In the wilderness, in the heart of a national park, with vast tracts protected for posterity, we gain fresh perspective about the world and our place in it. As the Apostle Paul said, it’s through creation the qualities of God are revealed to one and all. (Romans 1:20)

As we pressed on for Kentucky, our hearts were full of gratitude for experiencing the glories of the Gorge, and a glimpse of our Creator. And to think that national parks are an innovation originating in the United States — the gift that keeps on giving! This week’s adventures with the grandgirls landed our 12th park and almost completes our Eastern region quest. Reviewing the RV adventure list, I’m rather impressed by our progress since that first impulse-buy bumper-pull COVID-camper!

*Eastern (+2) National Parks, listed North to South:

• Acadia (ME)
• + Indiana Dunes (IN)
• Cuyahoga Valley (OH)
• Shenandoah (VA)
• New River Gorge (WV)
• Mammoth Cave (KY)
• Great Smoky Mountains (TN & NC)
• + Hot Springs (AR)
• Congaree (SC)
• Biscayne (offshore FL, in Atlantic)
• Everglades (FL)
• Dry Tortugas (offshore FL, in Gulf)
• St. John’s (Caribbean, U.S. Virgin Islands)

The last on the list is our outlier. This will not be an RV adventure — hah! But so many cruises, several ports of call in St. John’s over the years — come on! How did we manage to miss it?

Sincerely, Sondra