Discover miles of hiking trails at West Virginia state parks, forest and wildlife management areas in the Hiking West Virginia program. While participating in this program, you may discover the beauty of nature, experience interpretive hikes and make new friends at special event hikes. Hiking also has many benefits such as heart disease prevention, weight loss, decreasing cholesterol levels and improving arthritis, osteoporosis and improving overall mental health.

This program is a great opportunity to participate and accumulate mileage while enjoying nature and all the benefits of hiking. Register and submit your form with a one-time registration fee of $10 per person to become a member. Upon reaching each mileage plateau and sending your mileage log to Parks and Recreation for review, you will be eligible to receive a reward and continue on to the next plateau. All mileage must be accumulated on hiking trails in West Virginia’s state parks and forests. Come and explore nature at its best.

For more information call 1-800-CALL WVA or visit their web site at www.wvparks.com.

On behalf of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, Lt. Gov. Mark Schweiker announced the addition of Adams and parts of Franklin and Westmoreland counties to the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, a multi-county state heritage region that celebrates the history and culture surrounding U.S. Route 30, the nation’s first coast-to-coast highway.

The extensions include the remainder of Westmoreland County—from Greensburg west to the county line—and the remainder of Franklin County east from Chambersburg and all of Adams County. The additions will tack on 60 miles to the already existing 145-mile state heritage corridor.

“The Lincoln Highway corridor is a superb example of Pennsylvania’s transportation heritage,” Lt. Gov. Schweiker said. “The additional sections of the highway to the state’s Heritage Park Program give Pennsylvanians a way to highlight an integral part of our history and economic importance.”

Visitors traveling along the corridor can learn more about 18th-century forts; experience five state parks, mountainous topography and breathtaking scenery; and shop in quaint Pennsylvania towns like Ligonier, Bedford and Schellsburg.

In the east, the Adams and Franklin counties extension will combine with the substantial tourism resources related to the Gettysburg National Military Park. In the west, the Lincoln Highway follows the path of the historic Forbes Road, and will include Jeannette, Irwin, and North Huntingdon.

Finished in the mid-1920s, it was the first transcontinental highway, and provided Pennsylvanians with a well-marked route over the rugged Southern Alleghenies.

Officials at Ohiopyle State Park are putting in place several educational tools this summer to help inform the public about the inherent dangers of whitewater rafting at the popular Fayette County, Pennsylvania park.

“Each year, tens of thousands of people take on the challenge of the Youghiogheny River,” said Doug Hoehn, Ohiopyle State Park Manager. “While we want people to enjoy a run on the river, we need them to know this is not an amusement park ride. This is nature, and any adventure sport includes a certain amount of risk. These safety measures are designed to minimize and make people aware of that risk.”

Last year, three people died while whitewater rafting on the lower section of the river.

Park officials convened a focus group of whitewater experts last fall to study what can be done to help improve safety on the river. Based on the group’s recommendations, park officials are:

Updating the launch area with additional emphasis on rafting safety: The current safety video is being rewritten to include strong warnings about the dangers on the river, and messages about scouting the river and alternative rafting routes away from danger areas. The video now will be shown away from the congestion of the contact station; Improved signage at the launch area: Signs and exhibits will address boater skill level, and encourage portage and scouting as safe and accepted whitewater boating techniques. Portage refers to when boaters get out of their boats and use a portion of the river’s edge as an alternate route to avoid major or dangerous rapids. Scouting is the practice of either going ashore upstream of the rapid or stopping in the river to “scout” out the best route to take through rapids;

Signage on the river: Notoriously challenging rapids, such as Dimple Rock, will be signed with warnings on the river as rafters approach the area;

Safety equipment: The park has purchased 10-foot-long reach poles with hooks to be positioned at areas along the river where rafters most often fall from their boats;

Increased training: Four outfitters that provide guided rafting tours on the river will participate in joint training with park staff at the danger spots on the river, particularly Dimple Rock.

River patrol: Park rangers will be patrolling on the river a few days a week to emphasize safety and enforce park rules.

River maps: The park has developed a waterproof river map that provides suggested routes, safety messages and warnings.

Hoehn said the park also has received recommendations on possible engineering solutions to the undercut at Dimple Rock. Several people have become entrapped under the rock after hitting the rock and capsizing. An engineered solution may be taken, such as filling the undercut, but only after a thorough investigation of the ramifications of such a change. Removing the rock has been ruled out as a consideration, Hoehn said.

For more information about Ohiopyle State Park, call (724) 329-8591.

Mid-Atlantic fans of alternative sports will be glad to know that ESPN, Inc. has selected Philadelphia to host the next two X Games. The first and definitive multi-event competition for action sports, beginning with the seventh annual event, August 17-23, 2001. The announcement was made by ESPN President George Bodenheimer, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Comcast President Brian Roberts and Comcast Spectacor Ventures’ President Peter Luukko. The X Games showcases 350 of the world’s best action sport athletes competing in a variety of sports categories for medals and nearly $1 million in total prize money.