When it comes to days designated for some outdoorsy thing, it seems June is the preferred month. Last week we celebrated National Trails Day, a celebration of the over 200,000 miles of trails in the U.S. system. This week, Saturday marks National Get Outdoors Day, a joint effort by the USDA Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition aimed at inspiring and motivating people to get outside and enjoy the natural world. Now in its sixth year, GO Day is a series of nationwide events allowing families to experience traditional and non-traditional outdoor activities, with special emphasis on underserved populations, first-time visitors to public lands, and reconnecting youth to the great outdoors. Sounds great.
In conjunction with National Get Outdoors Day, the New River Clean Water Alliance will be hosting the Second Annual New River Festival outside Fayetteville, West Virginia. With a slogan like “Paddle to the People,” you know this is going to be a good time. The New River Festival promotes clean water in the New, and is a major fundraiser for the Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to solving the New’s water quality issues and preserving the river in general. Festival highlights include a screening of the Reel Paddling Film Festival on Friday night, a Paddle with the Pros clinic on Saturday, and a New River Gorge Kayak Race. The festival is about more than just paddling, however. There will be a guided hike to Historic Nuttalburg, steam and nature exploration workshops for the kids, and guided mountain bike rides. Oh, yeah: Dangermuffin and Gangstagrass will be playing sets on Saturday night.
This is another great opportunity to introduce young ones to the outdoors and natural world in a fun, lively environment. The diversity of activities will surely hold their attention, and could lead to a lifetime of healthy, active lifestyle choices. For a listing of National Get Outdoors Day events in your area, click here.
