Episode Guest
Eve West – Chief of Interpretation
New River Gorge National Park
Park Stats
- Location: north of Fayetteville, WV
- 63rd National Park
- Date created: National River on November 10, 1978 (Jimmy Carter), 2020 Congress redesignated as a National park
- Park size: 70,000+ acres
- Field Notes:
- The New River is one of the oldest rivers on the continent
- Over 100 miles of hiking and biking trails
- Home to the New River Gorge Bridge – the longest steel span arch bridge in the western hemisphere, and the third highest bridge in the United States.
- 65 species of mammals, including chipmunk, squirrel, coyotes, red & gray foxes, groundhog, and more, 10 species of bats, 40 species of reptiles, 50 species of amphibians
Speed Round
What is your earliest park memory?
I grew up right outside of the very first National River ever established in the National Park System, which is a Buffalo National River established on March 1st, 1972, 100 years to the date after the very first national park, Yellowstone National Park. My first memory is probably being a little kid down there, learning how to swim in the river.
What made you love the parks?
Having the tremendous opportunity to grow up right next to one. But, beyond that, when I started working for the Park Service, it’s a fun place to go play and hang out.
The mission of the National Park Service, I love our mission. It’s nice to work in a job where you feel like you’re making a difference. Not everybody is afforded that opportunity. And I feel very blessed to have that.
What is your favorite thing about New River Gorge National Park?
The diversity. I love plants. I love walking around the trees and looking at different species. There’s so much about this place I haven’t learned yet. It’s a lifelong learning opportunity here.
What is your favorite thing to do at New River Gorge National Park?
Probably forest bathe, walk in the woods. I love to mountain bike and trail run. Although the older I get, the less the trail running is becoming. I just love being in the woods. So it’s a good feeling.
What park have you yet to visit but is on your bucket list and why?
I’ve not been to Denali and I wanna get up to some of the Alaskan parks.
What are three must-haves you pack for a park visit?
A map, a water bottle. And I never go anywhere without duct tape. You never know when you’re gonna need it.
What is your favorite campfire activity?
Making s’mores.
Tent, camper, or cabin?
I’m a tent camper, especially when you can pull the top off and look at night and look at the stars.
Hiking with or without trekking poles?
Right now I do it without, but there are plenty of times I wish I had one, especially here at New River ’cause some of our trails are pretty rocky and the (high) elevation change. It’s not a bad thing to have a trekking pole.
And what is your favorite trail snack?
That’s a hard one. I hate to say granola, that’s just so obvious. I like my protein, so I tend to lean towards those protein snacks,
What is the favorite animal sighting that you’ve had?
Probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen was when I worked at Cape Cod in the wintertime. The seals would come down from the north and you’d see ’em right off shore.
And of course, now they’re down there more often. I was out there one day, and the seals were out there. And then there were organic birds dive bombing the water, and it was all going on at the same time. And it was this free wildlife show right off shore.
And I thought, boy, “I’m the luckiest person in the world.”
What is your favorite sound in the parks?
I love hearing the sounds of loons, but you don’t hear them much. Maybe that high pitch Raptor Eagle sound, is one I really enjoy hearing.
What is the greatest gift the parks give to us?
I think the derivation of the word recreation is re-creation and they offer us the opportunity to recreate ourselves, bond with other people, and especially in this day and time. I think that harmony is very important and I think National Parks offer that opportunity for us right now.