By 
I had the privilege of attending the ribbon cutting of the Elk River Rail Explorers. This exciting new attraction kicked off its first season with a bang and is looking forward to many more. Exceeding expectations, reservations were hard to come by and for good reason. The two-hour ride can be enjoyed in spring, summer or fall as a couple or a group. I suggest booking your ride as soon as you finish reading the story this month. The experience is one of a kind and an enjoyable, yet easy, ride along Buffalo Creek, a charming tributary of the Elk River. And while you’re in the area, be sure to enjoy the Elk River Trail.
The most recent rail trail addition to the West Virginia State Park System, the Elk River Trail, has several trailheads and river access points along its 48-mile length. This makes it easy for you to enjoy the trail and the Elk River in a variety of ways. Walking or biking the trail is always welcome. You’re also able to access the river to paddle or float your way along. I’m proud to be part of the extended development of the rail trail by continuing to add facilities and access to this much-loved public recreation trail.
The WV Division of Natural Resources is also proud of its conservation work in the rivers of the state. I hope you enjoy reading a little about how we’ve improved our blue cat fishery. For many years, blue catfish could no longer be found in either the Kanawha or Ohio rivers due to poor water quality, habitat degradation and overfishing. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of biologists on our Fish Management team, both rivers now have an excellent blue catfish population and have become very popular for recreational and tournament anglers. If you want to catch a very large fish, fishing for blue cats just may be your thing. Our biologists expect larger and larger fish to be reported so the West Virginia State Record is looking to be broken.
We also spend a lot of time working with the youth of our state, fostering a love of the outdoors and activities like archery. One of the most enduring programs we have is the Archery in the Schools program. I’m excited for you to read about the program, its successes and the achievements of the kids. We’ve seen over 400 schools registered in the program for 2025, and in just over 20 years we estimate approximately 350,000 students have gone through the program and shot over half a million arrows in state tournaments. I trust you’ll enjoy this story and find inspiration to get outside and get involved.
Brett W. McMillion, Director
Division of Natural Resources
By 
