West Virginia’s Camp Creek State Park opens new primitive camping cabin
A new cabin featuring rustic accommodations and a primitive, off-the-grid experience was dedicated at Camp Creek State Park and Forest on Wednesday and is now open for reservations, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources said in a news release. The cabin, called the Ranger Outpost Cabin, is the first of its type offered at the park.
The cabin is located on the forest side of Camp Creek and is accessed by hiking more than three miles up the mountain. “This cabin is really special and perfect for people who want to escape to the mountains and experience what cabin life was like a century ago,” Camp Creek Superintendent Frank Ratcliffe said. To reserve the cabin, call 1-833-WVPARKS.
REI to lay off 400 retail employees
In a sign of the times, REI announced that they will lay off 400 retail employees this week, cutting the company’s retail workforce by approximately 3%. Earlier in the year, the company laid off about 300 corporate employees at their headquarters in Kent, Washington. REI says the most recent cuts will impact employees that have not returned to work yet, including some who do not wish to return.
“As the months roll by, it’s clear that the virus is going to be with is a profound way, for the foreseeable future,” CEO Eric Artz said in an email to staff. “We’re doing great work serving customer demand right now, but there’s a lot we still don’t know about the long-term impacts to the economy and the full impact to our business.”
Statistics show visitors are flocking to national parks, despite virus
Statistics provided by the U.S. Travel Association show many people are traveling hundreds of miles across state lines to visit national parks, National Parks Traveler reports. At Yellowstone National Park, for example, 91 percent of tourists drove more than 200 miles to visit the park since its reopening in May, the data shows. At the Grand Canyon, 78% of visitors at the South Rim drove more than 200 miles for a visit.
Hiker standing near a ledge at Lindy Point in West Virginia – Photo by Michael Ver Sprill courtesy of Getty Images
