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Cunard Road Closure
A landslide has forced the closure of Cunard Road in New River Gorge National River More »
Watchable Wildlife
Great Blue Heron
The watchable wildlife areas listed below highlight the species most commonly observed in the primary visitors use areas of the park. Sandstone Falls/River Road -bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons, kingfishers, numerous ducks and migrating waterfowl (loons, cormorants and hooded mergansers) in winter, beaver, mink, muskrat, river otter, northern water snakes, assorted aquatic turtles (river cooters, stinkpots and snapping), aquatic insects (Dobson flies(hellgrammites) dragon files, mayflies and damsel flies), hellbenders (large aquatic salamander), spike mussels, Asiatic clams Sandstone Falls Overlook/ Route 20 - soaring raptors (red tail hawks, broad wing hawks, turkey vultures), also ravens, pilleated woodpeckers and flickers, plus sightings of southern flying squirrels. Bluestone National Scenic River There is a year round schedule of interpretive wildlife programs, especially birding activities led by State Park naturalists. The park Nature Center has live reptile and amphibian exhibits and a is an excellent bird watching area. The park lookout tower is a prime hawk migration observatory. - prime migrating warbler habitat, bald eagles, white-tail deer, gray and red foxes, bobcats, barred owls, wild turkey, red spotted newts and a diverserse array of other salamander species, black rat snakes, hellgrammites, moths, eastern box turtles, eastern toads, northern copperheads, eastern hognose snakes, millipedes.
Young Black Bear Crossing a Clearing
Grandview During the spring and summer rangers conduct weekly birdwalks. On summer evenings thousands of big and little brown bats emerge from the park constructed bat condo. White- tailed deer, red fox, wild turkey and black bears are spotted in the fields and forests. Turkey and black vultures, red-tail and broad wing hawks, and ravens soar on thermals over the gorge. Monarch, tiger and spicebush swallowtail butterflies, ant lion burrows, fencepost lizards and five lined skinks, red, fox, and gray squirrels, and black rat snakes are all reguarlly spotted by walking the park trails.
Black bear and bobcat, great horned owls, timber rattlesnakes, mink, beaver, raccoons, catch and release trout stream Gwinn Ridge Trail On the trail watch and listen for- Big Branch Trail -ruffed grouse, black bear, gray squirrels, fox squirrels, pilleated woodpeckers, wild turkey, bobcat, garter snakes, early spring seasonal salamander and frog breeding ponds.
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Did You Know?
One day each year, hundreds of BASE (Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth) jumpers come to New River Gorge to parachute from the New River Gorge Bridge.