Bird Watchers - any place good off I-64? (Beckley, Hinton: live, land)

[Giesela]

I will be driving back to Ohio from Virginia tomorrow mostly on I 64. I am wondering if there is any one particular place to stop and do a little quick birding. Nothing to strenuous, I've put my back out, but I hate to drive through and not look for opportunities to see this gorgeous state (never been), a little nature break, a few birds.

Thanks

[snorpus]

- New River Gorge, between Beckley and Hinton
- Hawks Nest State Park... exit at Beckley onto Rt 19 north, then west on Rt 60. It's about 30 minutes out of your way.

[Giesela]

Thanks, but is this one place or two?

[snorpus]

The New River Gorge stretches for 40 miles or so along the New River, from Fayetteville to Hinton and beyond, generally paralleling Rte 60.

Hawks Nest State Park is at the western (downstream) end of the Gorge, about 5 miles west of the New River Gorge Bridge.

You might say that the Gorge is a general term for a fairly large region, while Hawks Nest SP is a specific location within the larger Gorge.

[mattec]

The easiest place may be Grandview, which is a part of the New River National River system. Has its own exit after Beckley on 64. It's only like 8-12 mins off the interstate.

[Giesela]

Sorry to say I didn't make it to either place. I did get off at exit 129 because I didn't see a 129B? Maybe I missed it but didn't see the park so elected to get on back. I did got off somewhere and drive around a little bit near a river (Greenbrier I think).

It sure is a beautiful state. Maybe if I lived there all my life I'd be in better shape from walking up and down hill Not much flat land is there?

Thanks for the recommendations.

[Chriscross309]

Originally Posted by Giesela

Maybe if I lived there all my life I'd be in better shape from walking up and down hill Not much flat land is there?

well if that were the case, then we wouldn't be a fat state