North Bend State Park (West Virginia) officially reopens just in time for the summer travel season, celebrating $5.7 million worth of completed improvements during a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Gov. Jim Justice.
“I congratulate everyone who has played a part in doing all of the incredible work that’s been done at this beautiful park,” Gov. Justice said. “All of the renovations that we’re doing at our parks, just like we have at North Bend, are a huge boost for everything that we do.”
Gov. Justice was with West Virginia Department of Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Brett McMillion, West Virginia State Parks leaders, and other local officials. They displayed $4.5 million worth of renovations to the North Bend lodge’s 29 rooms.
The lodge’s upgrades include renovations to the lodge’s guest rooms, lobby, front desk, gift shop, restaurant, and improvements to the lodge exterior, walkways, guest room corridors, and landscaping.
Alongside the renovations to the lodge, North Bend State Park also received $500,000 worth of cabin improvements and $700,000 to construct two picnic shelters.
“No one has done more for West Virginia’s state parks, for outdoor recreation, and for our tourism industry than Governor Justice has in these past five years,” said Tourism Secretary Ruby.
During the event, Secretary Ruby also revealed that park reservations for this summer season are 31% higher than reservations from the summer prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019.
Named for the horseshoe bend in the North Fork of the Hughes River, North Bend State Park is located between Cairo and Harrisville and is known for its hiking trails, outdoor activities, and an extensive 72-mile North Bend Rail Trail.
This article originally appeared on 5 WDTV.