Late June is Bustin’ Out with activities at North Bend State Park

            CAIRO, W.Va. – June is already half over, but the last half of the month is still bustin’ out all over with fun programs and activities at North Bend State Park. Naturalist and programmer Ken Zebo and summer naturalist Adam Kirk invite guests and visitors to enjoy the outdoors and special activities available at North Bend while the weather is warm.

            Featured programs in June include Bil Lepp, West Virginia’s notable champion liar, performing Saturday, June 23, 7:30 p.m., at the park outdoor amphitheater.  Lepp is a popular entertainer at North Bend and delights youth and adults with tall tales and stories. 

            A Geology! Rocks presentation Friday, June 29, features Ken Ashton, a geologist with the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey. Find out what rocks make up the Mountain State.  This educational program meets in the lodge conference room at 7:30 p.m. A Geology! Rocks Hike on Saturday, June 30, begins at 10 a.m. and you will learn about the rocks that can be found at North Bend. The hike begins at the Overlook Trail trailhead, across from Cabin 1, and will last less than two hours.

            North Bend State Park is located in Ritchie County near Cairo and Harrisville. It is open year-round and caters to families and reunions. A 29-room lodge, nine vacation cabins, 77 campsites, lake, trails, game courts and access to the North Bend Rail Trail make this park a popular summer destination. To learn more about the park or its summer programming, visit www.northbendsp.com or call 304-643-2931.

            Interpretative activities are scheduled daily through Labor Day weekend at North Bend State Park. In late June they include:

• Friday, June 15: Nature Center; Orienteering; Creeping, Crawling Crayfish; Scavenger Hunt, Night Hike.
• Saturday, June 16: Nature Center; Bike Ride to Cairo on the North Bend River Trail; Origami; Herp Hunt.
• Monday, June 18: Nature Center; Orienteering, Tunnel 13 Hike; Volleyball Games.
• Tuesday, June 19: Herp Hunt; Nature Center; Origami, Corn-hole; Scavenger Hunt.
• Wednesday, June 20 (West Virginia Day): Nature Center; Bird Nest Craft; Nature Trail Hike; Irish Road Bowling (4 p.m.); Marvelous Mammals Hike.
• Thursday, June 21: Bird Walk, Creek Critters; Nature Center; Venom and Poison (what not to touch in the woods); Nature Center Movie.
• Friday, June 22: Nature Center; Spirit Animal Masks; Southern Railroad Trail Hike; Whiffle-ball game; Wild About Wild Turkeys.
• Saturday, June 23: Hibbs Cemetery Hike; Nature Center; Plant Pounding; Fishing Derby (5 p.m.); Champion Liar Bil Lepp (7:30 p.m.).
• Monday, June 25: Bird Walk; Nature Center; Tree Walk; Southern Railroad Trail Hike.
• Tuesday, June 26: Nature Center; Creek Critters; Plant Pounding; Nature Trail Hike, Nature Center Movie.
• Wednesday, June 27: Nature Center; Origami; Herp Hunt; Volleyball Game.
• Thursday, June 28: Nature Center; Animal Craft; Skulls and Skins (animal identification); Scavenger Hunt.
• Friday, June 29: Nature Center; Hibbs Cemetery Hike; Corn-hole; Geology! Rocks (presentation, 7:30 p.m.)
• Saturday, June 30: Geology! Rocks (hike, 10 a.m.); Nature Center; Creeping, Crawling Crayfish; Fishing Derby (3:30 p.m.).