Located on the banks of the New River just north of Hinton, West Virginia, Camp Brookside was originally developed as a summer camp for children of employees of Elkem Metals; its white frame structures dating between1947-1954.  The camp lies within the boundaries of New River Gorge National River, established in 1978 to protect and preserve over 70,000 acres of land along the New River in West Virginia. The National Park Service purchased Camp Brookside in 1993.

The camp is actually located on Brooks Island, the largest island in the national park. The island’s flat, floodplain-rich soil made it valuable land for farming by American Indians and early settlers. Today, it is in transition from farmland, to summer camp, to a more natural environment.  Along with its historic significance, Brooks Island is also the largest of three very rare Appalachian Flatrock plant communities within the park, providing critical and increasingly rare habitat for a diversity of flora and fauna.   

In 2001 Concord University and the National Park Service began exploring ideas for developing an environmental learning center at the Camp Brookside site.  We are currently studying the feasibility of these ideas, and we need your help!  We envision Camp Brookside becoming a vital center of outdoor science education and research, providing experiential, inquiry-based learning experiences for people of all ages. Programs could include environmental education programs for K-12 students, adult education programs, field research and teaching opportunities for college students, outdoor recreation adventures and self-discovery challenges for teens, and support for watershed conservation associations throughout southern West Virginia. Your ideas are critical to the future success of this project.

This web site is intended for soliciting input and support for this project.