In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the National Park Service urges everyone to celebrate National Wilderness Month throughout September.
During National Wilderness Month, Marshall students can explore the great outdoors surrounding campus.
Many students on campus are unaware of the things to explore around Huntington.
Emma Tidd and Kaylee Herb, sophomores from Hurricane, said their favorite spot near campus to visit is Ritter Park.
Sam Hart, a sophomore from the Charleston area, said, “I have not got out around campus yet since I commute every day. I’ve played disc golf at Rotary Park before and enjoy running trails at the Kanawha State Forest.”
There are many options around campus to explore and enjoy nature, wilderness and outdoors.
Ritter Park is located just under two miles from Marshall’s campus and is one of the best spots around Huntington to explore the outdoors. It is full of running trails, pickleball and tennis courts, playgrounds, an amphitheater, dog park and picnic shelters.
If students are looking for a place to check off a West Virginia bucket list item, Rotary Park recently opened one of the Almost Heaven Swings.
The swings have been put in place as part of a statewide initiative by the West Virginia Department of Tourism to highlight the landscape of the state.
The swing at Rotary Park was the 25th swing placed throughout the state as it overlooks the landscape of the greater Huntington area.
Beech Fork State Park is located in the outskirts of Huntington and has activities year-round to explore the outdoors. It is mostly known for its campsites, and they offer a great place to hike, swim, hunt, boat and fish.
Another popular spot to visit near campus is Heritage Farm Museum and Village. There are many activities to engage in at Heritage Farm, such as mountain biking, ziplining, ropes courses and historical sights to explore.
During the fall and Christmas seasons, Heritage Farm hosts a Fall Festival and Christmas Village for the community to enjoy outdoors.
Recently, Heritage Farm announced their development of The Snow Oasis at Heritage Farm, which will feature some year-round elements as well as snow tubing, snow play areas, snowboarding and skiing with ice skating and slides.
Huntington goes beyond the limits of campus and provides great opportunities for students to enjoy their time out of the classroom. Ella Bumgardner can be contacted at [email protected].
