New River Gorge National Park and other West Virginia, WV Things to Do Tips

The New River (which is in reality among the oldest rivers on the continent) is the site of a relatively new kind of National Park which encompasses the whole of a river. One of the Visitor's Centers is near Sandstone WV. The park contains over 70,000 acres of land along the New River.

The park is open year-round. Canyon Rim and Sandstone Visitor Centers are open daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's) from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Thurmond Depot and Grandview operate seasonally from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Thurmond Depot's seasonal hours are 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Grandview is open seasonally from 12:00 Noon to 5:00 PM.

You can see some of the park from the AMTRAK Cardinal which travels through New River Gorge on its route from New York, and some of the park is accessible from the road, but the majority of the river scenery and wildlife is only viewable from a boat. New River Gorge National River includes 53 miles of free-flowing New River, beginning at Bluestone Dam and ending at Hawks Nest Lake

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Website: http://www.nps.gov/neri/

Facts about Charleston
Charleston, is the largest city and the capital city of West Virginia. The population is about 51,300. Charleston is situated at the intersection of three major interstates: I-64, I-77, and I-79.

A reporter for the Gallipolis (Ohio) Dispatch had this to say about the city in 1861: "Charleston is quite a pretty place. It is located on the beautiful bottom on the northeast bank of the river and is entirely surrounded by lofty hills. There are many pretty residences but they and the public buildings are built after the old style and have not much pretension to magnificence." At that time West Virginia was not even a state - it was part of Virginia.

After a good amount of controversy, the capitol was finally located in Charleston, and the present Capitol was dedicated by Governor William G. Conley on the State's 69th birthday, June 20, 1932.

In 1991, the Charleston Downtown historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Roughly bounded by broad street, the Kanawha River, summers Street, and the Conrail railroad tracks which is an area of 989 acres and 177 buildings. In 1996 the Clendenin historic district was added: bounded by First Avenue and Kanawha Ave between 5th and French Streets, covering 200 acres and thirty-seven buildings of colonial revival, classical revival, and late gothic revival architecture.

When visiting Charleston, the Capitol Complex is a good place to start. Charleston’s Cultural Center at the Capitol Complex is home to the Commission on the Arts, the State Historic Preservation Office, the State Museum, and the State Archives. The Cultural Center is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday Noon to 6 p.m. The Cultural Center offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm. The Cultural Center is located in the Capitol Complex at 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East.

The State Capitol building itself has the largest state capitol dome in the country and is easliy seen from the interstates and surrounding roads. Guided tours conducted Monday-Friday from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Capitol open to public Monday-Saturday 9 am to 7 pm and Sundays 12 to 7 pm.

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Phone: (304) 558-0220.
Address: 1900 Kanawha Blvd E
Directions: From points North: Take I-77 South to the Greenbrier Street/ State Capitol Exit (Exit 99), turn right off the exit ramp onto Greenbrier Street, then turn left at Washington Street into the State Capitol parking lot.
Website: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Educational/citizens/guide.cfm
Other Contact: 1-800-CALL-WVA.