Hot Spot

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve – Endless Wall | Aug. 5-9, 2021

Glen Jean, WV

Contrary to its name, the New River is one of the oldest rivers in North America.  The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve encompasses over 70,000 acres of land along 53 river-miles in West Virginia. While the New River is known for its world-class whitewater, there are many recreational opportunities drawing in all kinds of visitors seeking opportunities to hike, bike, and fish, among many other activities.  New River Gorge National Park and Preserve as a whole is a Leave No Trace Gold Standard Site, but concentrated use at the Endless Wall feature has continued to cause impacts and degradation.  A notable spike in use came after USA Today designated the Endless Wall as the best National Park hike in 2015.  Through targeted education, outreach, and future planning, the Hot Spot program will help the park staff address these localized issues. For the Hot Spot activation, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team will be at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve leading a variety of workshops, outreach programs and community events, including opportunities for community involvement.

*The Endless Wall is located on the ancestral lands of the Moneton, Tutelo, S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and possibly other tribes*

Solutions

During the Hot Spot activation, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team led a variety of workshops, outreach programs, and community events at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve – Endless Wall. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Team and the National Park Service led a Trailhead Outreach at the Fern Creek Trailhead to educate the public on how to minimize their impact while recreating in the outdoors. They also led a Service Project at the Endless Wall Trail to address trail impacts such as trail widening and undesignated trails.   

 

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