Hiking the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
What ever happened to Grandview State Park?
The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve was created in 1978 to help preserve the ecosystems that surround the New River in southern West Virginia. It runs along the New River from Hinton in Summer’s County to Hawk’s Nest Park in Fayette County.
I hiked a couple of trails near the Grandview overlook. Here’s a smaller map of that area.
I grew up occasionally hiking in Grandview State Park. The park was incorporated into the New River Gorge National Park in 1992. But people who live there still refer to it as Grandview State Park.
I hiked a couple of trails at Grandview recently, a total of about 12 miles. As a regular hiker in Florida I’m always amazed how much harder it is to hike in the mountains. My legs definitely felt it the next day much more than a hike of similar distance in Florida.
Yeah, Grandview pretty well sums it up, doncha think?
I once tried my best to get a bit part in a movie that was shot in southern West Virginia. Matewan was a movie about the founding of the coal miner’s union. It was filmed in Thurmond, WV, about 30 miles from Grandview. But the movie makers came to Grandview to get a short scene from the Grandview. It didn’t really tie into the movie, just a pretty scene to put in. And as for me getting a bit part in the movie — didn’t happen. That was pretty well the last gasp of my failed acting career.
The rhododendrons were in full view at the visitor center. Rhododendrons are a beautiful flower and indeed the state flower of West Virginia. Most of the year they have an evergreen leaf. But for a few weeks in Spring they dominate their surroundings with the beauty of their flowers.
But the beauty of the rhododendron has a darker side. The flower is toxic to most pollinators. Most plants with large flowers would have a variety of pollinators — wasps, butterflies and moths, bees, etc. But you’ll never see anything but honeybees and bumblebees on the rhododendron as the nectar is poisonous to most pollinators.
And to humans. Some people go looking specifically for rhododendron honey because of its psychological effects. It contains a neurotoxin called Grayanotoxin. It can cause hallucinations and a suppression of the central nervous system. In high concentrations it can cause death. There’s a reason that users of rhododendron honey call it Mad Honey.
The scariest stories I’ve heard is that early settlers in West Virginia used rhododendron honey to calm crying infants. YIKES! Don’t try this at home.
I had forgotten how many chipmunks are in the forests in this area. They were everywhere. My brothers and I used to catch them and try to keep them as pets many years ago. Unfortunately being captured was usually a death sentence for the poor chipmunk, not from intentional harm but from not knowing how to take care of it. But some escaped, which looking back I’m thankful for.
The trails here stay a little muddy as the tree canopy doesn’t let a lot of sun in. But all were easily passible. The trails seem well cared for and easily passible.
Overall there’s something for everyone at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve: Nature, history, exercise and magnificent views. And for me it brings back memories of navigating these woods in a simpler time.