Red River Gorge visitor center to reopen after 2 years

Published 6:32 am Tuesday, March 15, 2022

The Gladie Visitor Center at Red River Gorge will reopen with a new operator this month after being closed for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.

FIND Outdoors, a nonprofit organization based in North Carolina, will manage the center when it reopens on March 30, the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement. A weekend of special events is planned on April 2-3 and includes storytelling, live music and programs from the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, the statement said.

The Forest Service said it decided on the partnership after reassessing how to deliver visitor information and increase environmental education programming. Along with trail maps, local history exhibits and safety notifications, the Gladie Visitor Center will offer more educational programming and a new gift shop.

“We’re confident that they will help deliver a new era of learning and public recreation in the ever-popular Red River Gorge,” Cumberland District Ranger Jonathan Kazmierski said in a statement.

FIND Outdoors is based in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina, and operates over 20 visitor centers, campgrounds and recreation areas in four states.