Shenandoah University Goes Whitewater Rafting at New River Gorge
National Park Trust’s College Ambassador Program equips college students with the resources to lead outdoor recreation, conservation, and stewardship outings for their campus communities. Ambassadors plan each trip themselves, connecting their peers to parks, public lands, and waters, often for the first time. The story below was written by Jacob Gorman and Sean Edwards Salas, National Park Trust College Ambassadors at Shenandoah University, about their recent outing to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia.
On the morning of Sept. 5, a group of students from Shenandoah University set out on a whitewater rafting adventure! The first stop was Natural Bridge State Park in Virginia, where we got to explore the visitor center, see the famous Natural Bridge, and do the beautiful Lace Falls hike. On the way out of the site, we got to talk to a park ranger and learn all about the geologic history of the park.
Our next stop was the Castle Rock Trail at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia. The hike had rock formations unlike any most of our group had ever seen before, and we spent a lot of time reflecting on the nature around us and what we had learned about geology from the park ranger at Natural Bridge. We had one more stop at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, where we got to see the famous New River Gorge Bridge, and then we were off to our campsite for the night. As we pulled into the campground, the whole van got very excited because we could see a bear standing outside of the cabin directly next to ours! We made sure to practice Leave No Trace principles so we didn’t have any unwanted bear friends visit us in the night.
The next morning, we got up bright and early to hit the river. We spent the whole day on the river navigating through the rapids and occasionally jumping out to have a swim break (when it was safe). The highlight of the day was when one of our group’s rafts had a head-on collision with another raft, and someone even fell out before they were quickly pulled back in.
After a good night’s sleep, we had one more hike to do before heading home: the Endless Wall Trail. By group consensus, the Endless Wall hike was by far the most beautiful view of the trip. The car ride was filled with conversations about our favorite memories from the trip and lots of naps. It was safe to say the weekend was a success!
About National Park Trust
National Park Trust is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has protected national park land since 1983, acquiring missing pieces of our national parks and benefiting 58 national park sites nationwide. Our mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow.
Our youth education and family initiatives — Buddy Bison School Programs, College Ambassador Program, and Military Family Programs, along with National Kids to Parks Day — connect tens of thousands of people to the outdoors each year.
We believe public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed, and preserved by all, for current and future generations. Learn more at parktrust.org.
