ONE LAST THING
SPRING BLOOMS
PHOTO BY RICK BARBERO
A deer crosses the parking lot at Grandview park near a cluster of rhododendrons . Catawba rhododendrons bloom in mid to late May and appear around the Grandview parking lot areas . Catawbas grow wild on the clifftops in the gorge and can also be seen on the Rim Trail and Turkey Spur .
I t is a comfort to know that spring will be coming and will bring with it the glorious blooms that are especially abundant at Grandview , which is part of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve .
In Jan . 23 , 1903 , the great rhododendron was designated the official state flower of West Virginia . To read more about the history behind that designation , go to e-WV : The West Virginia Encyclopedia at www . wvencyclopedia . org .
View of New River and rhododendron from Turkey Spur at Grandview in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve .
Courtesy Photo NPS
SOUTH � WINTER ’ 25 � 43