Appalachian Geopark
Welcome to the Appalachian Geopark Website. This is a proposed geopark to conserve geological resources through education and science for sustainable development of southern part of West Virginia. The proposed geopark covers Fayette, Greenbrier and Raleigh Counties of WV.
Appalachian Geopark
| Counties | Population | Number of Towns | Number of Geosites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette | 35279 | 27 | 28 |
| Greenbrier | 76601 | 9 | 9 |
| Raleigh | 44323 | 21 | 10 |
Some Visual Glances of Appalachian Geopark
Fayette, Greenbrier and Raleigh Counties highlight geoheritage, geodiversity and geotourism necessary to become a geopark. Some examples are shown in these images.
- New River
- Glade Creek Grist Mill
- Whipple Company Store
- Organ Cave
The New River begins near the summit of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina flowing in a generally northward direction for approximately 483 km where it meets the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River to the Ohio River Watershed. The new River is reported to be one of the oldest rivers in the world, carving its way through the Appalachian Plateau around it or from it.
Glade Creek Grist Mill was built in 1976 and is located at Babcock State Park. It is situated on the Quinnimont sandstone of Campbell in the New River formation. The basic structure of the mill came from the Stoney Creek Grist Mill which dates back to 1890.
Whipple Company Store, bulit in 1900, is a historic company store located in Whipple, Fayette County of West Virginia. This It has been famous for coal history touring. It has two story with octagonal frame. It has been included in the National Register of Historic Places since 1991.
Since 1835, Organ Cave became one of two commercial caves within the Appalachian Geopark. It was mined extensively for saltpeter during the 19th Century, utilized for Confederate Army church services, contains a wealth of paleontological finds, and is a significant biological reserve being home to 13 rare species including one single site endemic.It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also as a National Natural Landmark. Organ Cave itself is an immense dendritic system. Organ Cave is a contact cave found along the eartern of the Greenbrier Group's outcrop, where storm water collects on the clastics (shale)of the underlying Maccrady Formation. Cave passeges typically have ceilings of flat limestone and steep v-shaped walls of shales