CLIFFTOP, W.Va. — A new recreational trail that will allow West Virginia State Parks to enhance ties to the New River Gorge has officially opened at Babcock State Park.
Gov. Jim Justice joined state officials for a Monday ceremony at the park in Fayette County.
Justice said the trail will help cities and towns improve access to biking/walking paths and will encourage more visitors to the area. He added the work wouldn’t have been complete if his team didn’t believe in themselves first.
“We live in paradise. All you had to do was become really proud of your pond and then all of a sudden, off we go,” the governor said.
Two separate grants of $350,000 each were announced in Feb. 2022 for two trails at Babcock State Park. One is the Sewell Trail and the other is the former Narrow Gauge Trail.
On Monday, state Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston helped re-open the Sewell Trail, which runs adjacent to Glade Creek in Babcock State Park and connects to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
“A year ago today we stood here with Chelsea (Ruby) and I completed blindsided by the governor and his vision, but that’s exactly the way we’ve been working together. Ever since we put this guy in office, that’s exactly what has happened,” Wriston said.
The program is administered by the state Department of Transportation and funded by the Federal Highway Administration.
Monday’s event also marked the opening day of this year’s West Virginia Gold Rush.
State Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby also attended Monday’s announcement and said the event has grown over the years.
“Gold Rush has become such a major event. People look forward to it all year. It’s a great time for little kids to get introduced to fishing,” Ruby said.
State Division of Natural Resources Director Brett McMillion said they’re going to stock over 50,000 pounds of golden rainbow trout, a native species in West Virginia.
“We’re going to hit 68 waters — 47 lakes and 21 streams — and our intent will be to turn this into a family oriented activity,” he said.
The West Virginia Gold Rush runs through April 8. Stocking locations and details can be found at wvdnr.gov/goldrush.