Some good and green news: America, we have a new national park.
In late 2020, New River Gorge in southern West Virginia was given our country’s premiere preservation status, making it the 63rd natural area of its kind. It’s easy to see why: With 72,000 acres and a 53-mile gorge, it’s been a beloved attraction for outdoor enthusiasts for over half a century now.
The addition is sure to be a welcome one for many on the Eastern Seaboard: whereas the American West holds the lion’s share of national parks—there are nine in California alone—those who live in Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, or Southern states don’t have access to a such an array of government-sanctioned reserves. In fact, year after year, Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee is routinely America’s most-visited park. Why? It’s within a day’s driving distance of major U.S. cities like Atlanta, Nashville, and even Philadelphia and New York. Now, there’s one more beautiful, accessible locale to add to the list. (New River Gorge is sure to be especially popular among D.C. and Baltimore residents, who live five hours or less from the entrance.)
Check out the article here from Vogue