By Steve Keenan for The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — With a 40% increase in visitation from its redesignation in 2020, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is contributed nearly $33 million more to local economies in neighboring gateway communities in 2023 than in 2019, says Eve West, chief of visitor services for the park as well as the Gauley River National Recreation Area and the Bluestone National Scenic River.
In 2019, pre-redesignation total visitor spending for New River in gateway communities was $53.4 million, according to West, while in 2023, three years after becoming a national park and preserve, visitor spending rose to $86.2 million, a 61 percent increase. As the fourth anniversary of the re-designation which resulted in the birth of NRGNPP arrives later this month, as well as being four years away from the New River celebrating its 50th anniversary as a National Park Service component, local parks officials are still coming to terms with the increased visitation numbers created by the national park designation.
“New River is four years away from celebrating its 50th anniversary as part of the National Park Service,” West said this week. With increased tourism traffic, stewardship of national parks includes tasks ranging from helping provide a financial stream of support to people cleaning up local trails and streams as they depart the region after their explorations. There’s a role all interested individuals and organizations can play in the success of the parks, West said. “Everyone has a role to play in the stewardship and support of our country’s national parks and helping to ensure safe and enjoyable experiences in parks,” she said.
