Mike and Wendy Pramik
| Special to USA TODAY
It was early June, more than a year since our family of four had ventured too far outside our central Ohio bubble. We knew we weren’t alone in our caution, as the pandemic’s uncertainty hung over our nation like a dark cloud.
But now, with the threat of COVID-19 receding as we approached the halfway point of 2021, we were ready for an adventure.
We wanted to be together, but after being cooped up for so long, we wanted some wide, open spaces too. So we headed to the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia to see if we could find action and relaxation among the rugged, Appalachian hills.
The short answer: Yes.
Amid this bounty of natural resources, the New River area stands out. The river is one of the oldest on Earth, flowing northward to create the longest gorge in the Appalachian Mountains.
It’s also the centerpiece of our nation’s newest national park, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, which opened in December. The 70,000-acre park includes vast swaths of forestland along 53 miles of the river, from Bluestone Dam in Hinton to Hawks Nest Lake near Ansted.
Any new national park is a magnet for outdoors and history enthusiasts, and we found that to be true here….
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