Bleached earless lizard at White Sands National Park.
Sea Oats at Indiana Dunes National Park.
coursed by three wilderness rivers, the New, Gauley and Bluestone—has long been heralded as a world-class hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and whitewater rafting destination. The New was recognized as a national river back in 1978, based on its natural beauty and recreational features. The upgrade to national park status will inevitably help elevate the Gorge to a more road-trip worthy destination for adventure-seeking visitors from across the country. The park becomes one of just a half-dozen dual-status or “combo parks”—those that include both park and preserve. In this case, the park proper measures 7,021 acres around the heart of the Gorge, with the remaining 65,165 acres classified as a natural preserve, making it accessible to backcountry hunting and fishing. The park and preserve include three locations that were already managed by the NPS—the Gorge itself, the Gauley National Recreation Area, and the Bluestone National Scenic River. Known simply as “The New” by locals and frequent visitors, the Gorge features 53 miles of free-flowing whitewater, including many Class IV and V rapids. One of the most popular (and harrowing) stretches is the “Lower New,” a 13-mile gauntlet of wild Class V rapids that is often cited as the most challenging whitewater
in the Eastern U.S. Seasoned outfitters, like Adventures on the Gorge, operate a variety of rafting trips ranging from mild to wild. It’s not all about whitewater at the Gorge. Rock climbers flock to the area to take on the park’s more than 1,400 established routes on hard sandstone walls and cliffs— some rising to more than a thousand feet. There are numerous other hiking and mountain biking trails as well, plus a climbing school for those new to the sport. www.nps.gov/neri, 304-465-0508 White Sands National Park, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, joined the list of the nation’s most prestigious parks just before Christmas in 2019. This was not a surprise. White Sands had been a National Monument since 1933 and the upgrade had been in the works for years. Designation as America’s 62nd national park has been enthusiasticallyendorsedbythepark’smanyproponents— road-trippers, desert rats, and photographers for the most part—who love to roam the 275-square-mile spread of sparkling, swirling white sand dunes. They come day and night year-round to hike, sled, cycle, camp, and photograph the world’s largest gypsum dune field. Dunes began forming here about 10,000 years ago and
AMERICA’S NEWEST NATIONAL PARKS
COAST TO COAST FALL MAGAZINE 2021
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