By John Zickefoose
Life in Morgantown has most of the elements of your average medium-to-large college town. And like many college towns whose identities are based around their universities, summers can get a little? slow. In many ways, the undergraduate exodus can be a good thing. Apartment complexes get some much needed late night peace and quiet, parking spots open up, and traffic has less of a blood-boiling effect (I doubt anyone hates driving on the Mileground as much as me). But there are definitely drawbacks as well. Football and basketball are on hiatus, as are most of our favorite TV shows, and many friends leave town to work for the summer.
So if you are like me and are going to be in town for at least for a decent chunk of the summer and have some free time, here are a few suggestions for outdoorsy stuff to do around town.
1. Most students at WVU know about Coopers Rock and the awesome views it affords. If you have a bike, it’s fun and great exercise to ride the roadside trail, and you don’t have to be an expert by any means to navigate it.
2. Also, WVU just opened up a zip line canopy tour nearby. It’s comprised of 4 ziplines, an aerial bridge, and a tandem rappel station to exit the course.
3. For something more close by, check out the WVU Core Arboretum. If you walk to the bottom, you will reach the Mon River Trail, which Runs from Star City all the way past the Waterfront Place Hotel. If you cross the main trail at the bottom of the Arboretum, there are wooded trails that run parallel to the river as well. And best of all, if you don’t own a bike, Wamsley Cycles, located at the Seneca Center right off the Mon River Trail, rents them.
So if you are like me and like to get out and about when the weather is nice, check out Morgantown’s outdoor attractions!
