PHILIPPI, W.Va (WBOY) — June 2, 2023, marked the unveiling of 4 out of 11 routes for the Mountain Ride Program, along with naming the new trail, Birdeye Bend Road.
The West Virginia Department of Transportation and Governor Jim Justice’s office held an event in Philippi to commemorate the newest addition to the program.
The Mountain Ride Program works to get out-of-state tourists and West Virginians to experience scenic trails while they are passing through.
Chelsea Ruby, Secretary of Tourism, said, “programs like this do two things, one, they’re getting new people to the states, so it’s opening a unique attraction that draws people in, but the second thing is getting West Virginians to explore their own state. Giving folks to find a new route, go visit some new local businesses, check out historical structures like this one. Learn more about the history of the state and the nation.”
“We have potentially the greatest tourism destination there is in this country, if not, maybe on the globe, and we need to expose it to everybody. This is just another step towards bringing more, and more and more people here and everything, and it’s phenomenal,” Gov. Justice said.
The event ended with a bang, as Jim Justice got to fire a cannon for the Blue & Gray Reunion and cut a ribbon for the newly named tourist trails.
