New River Gorge National Park
Featuring our newest National Park: The New River Gorge! Became a national park in 2020 and is known best for its white water rafting and rock climbing! It also features one of the oldest rivers on Earth, as well as what used to be the largest single-span arch bridge! I did a few hikes all around the park, and it was a park of scenic vistas!
Most of the hikes ended in some amazing views of the river gorge! Including some of my favorite views from the Endless Wall hike! I also went down to the Sand Falls to enjoy the river itself, and the island walk there was amazing! So many flowers and bugs to enjoy! Fayetteville is the little hub town nearby and is really charming! I grabbed coffee and some pizza while I was in town, and both were amazing!
My plant focus was a cool plant called Cancer Root (Conopholis americana), a parasitic plant that grows on the roots of oak and beech trees. It has no chlorophyll; it grows mostly underground, only appearing on the surface in spring, when yellow, cob-like flowers emerge that can persist until winter, eventually becoming brown or black husks. I was surprised the first time I saw one; it looked so alien. I think parasitic plants, along with other abnormal plants like carnivorous ones, are so interesting! To see all the ways plants have evolved and created such weird, abnormal ways to survive! The Cancer Root is going on the top 10 plant weirdos list.
The Fools Journeys 
Leave a comment