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The New River Gorge National River is a unit of the United States National Park Service designed to protect and maintain the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia. Established in 1978, the NPS-protected area stretches for from just downstream of Hinton to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted. New River Gorge is also home to some of the country's best whitewater rafting. The focus of this rafting is in the New River Gorge from the Cunard put-in to the Fayette Station take-out. The river levels for the New River Gorge (and most other major whitewater rivers in the United States) can be checked at American Whitewater.〔(Americanwhitewater.org )〕 New River Gorge is also one of the most popular climbing areas on the east coast with over 1,400 established rock climbs. The cliffs at "The New" are located just below the rim of the gorge and are made up of a very hard Nuttall sandstone. The rock is very featured, and an abundance of crack and face routes, with occasional large roofs. Almost all climbs are one pitch long and range from 30 to in height. The majority of the routes in the gorge are for advanced climbers in 5.10-5.12 range of the Yosemite Decimal System with about an equal number of traditional and sport climbs. New River Gorge National River was established in 1978 as a unit of the national park system. Located in the Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia, the park encompasses over of land along of the New River from Bluestone Dam to Hawks Nest State Park.〔 A rugged, white water river, flowing northward through deep canyons, the New River is among the oldest rivers on the continent. The park is rich in cultural and natural history and offers an abundance of scenic and recreational opportunities. President Jimmy Carter signed legislation establishing New River Gorge National River on November 10, 1978 (Public Law 95-625). As stated in the legislation, the park was established as a unit of the national park system “for the purpose of conserving and interpreting outstanding natural, scenic, and historic values and objects in and around the New River Gorge and preserving as a free-flowing stream an important segment of the New River in West Virginia for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.” ==Geologic features== Flowing water is the creative force shaping the geologic features of the New River Gorge as the river continues to sculpt the longest and deepest river gorge in the Appalachian Mountains. On display in the gorge one can find a variety of unique geologic features and processes that exemplify the geology of the Appalachian Plateau, including the exposure of over of sandstone and shale, house-sized boulders scattered from rim to river, plant and invertebrate fossils, and steep channel drop-offs. The river has exposed four seams of coal, considered among the best bituminous coal in the world. The smokeless New River coal once fed the boilers of the nation's trains, factories, fleets and power plants, and its coke fueled the nation's iron furnaces. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「New River Gorge National River」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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