Curtis Tate Published

New River Gorge Events Mark National Parks Week

New River NPP

It’s National Parks week, and there will be events in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

On Wednesday, the National Park Service is inviting the public to watch the restoration of an 80-year-old mural at the Mount Hope post office from 12:30 to 4 p.m.

The mural depicts early 20th century coal miners and will be restored to its original appearance.

The park’s Youth Arts in the Parks Appalachian Spring Wildflower Art Contest winners will be on display at the Tamarack Marketplace in Beckley. The display features work by K-12 students in Fayette, Nicholas, Summers and Raleigh counties.

The park has also uploaded photos and descriptions of more than 5,700 cultural artifacts from the New River Gorge’s prehistoric and industrial past. The collection can be viewed on the park’s website.

The New River Gorge is the nation’s newest national park, receiving that designation in December 2020. A record 1.7 million people visited the park last year. Unlike other national parks, it does not charge an entrance fee.