The weather is warming up, the sun is shining, and the daffodils are popping up everywhere! Spring is finally here. Instead of staying cooped up in your dorm room or the library all day, I encourage you all to explore what this area has to offer as far as outdoor recreation. Many may not realize everything you can do here locally or a car ride away. 

Here in Buckhannon, you can visit the Buckhannon River Walk Trail where you can walk, ride a bike, have a picnic, fish, or even sit on the benches to enjoy the view. Right beside the Buckhannon River Walk Trail is Buckhannon’s Dog Park. This is perfect to take your service or emotional support dog to get some exercise especially since it is so close to campus. Buckhannon also has two parks, the city park and the Pringle Tree Park.

If you are looking for something out of the way but still relatively close, I’ve got you covered. We are close to so many state parks that offer a variety of activities. Audra State Park has the most beautiful blue water to fish, boat, or swim in. You can also bike, hike, camp, or geocache. At Blackwater Falls State Park you can bike, boat, camp, fish, golf, geocache, hike, hunt, swim, and even take scenic train rides. Stonewall Jackson State Park offers all of the activities listed above as well as a miniature golf course but if it happens to be raining, they also offer an indoor rock wall. 

When planning a trip, you may run into the problem of not having the proper equipment, funds, or transportation. West Virginia Wesleyan College has already solved that problem for students. The Outdoor Recreation Program gives students the ability to make memories with fellow students with low cost or sometimes at not any cost of their own. They provide transportation, food, and equipment. Students can also rent equipment from them for their own trips planned. Equipment they have available to rent for activities includes camping, hiking, biking, water, and outdoor games. This hasn’t even scratched the surface of what all Buckhannon or West Virginia has to offer but it is a good place to start. I encourage everyone to take this opportunity and do something you have never done before or even just enjoy the fresh air. What better place to do it than among the hills?