April 29 - May 4, 2024: Registration Is OPEN
All packages include daily field trips, field trip transportation from Burnwood, presentations, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lodging packages begin the night before your first field trip and include the night of your last field trip. Field trips are limited to twelve seats plus guides.
All you have to do is show up for days of adventurous nature excursions, meals, knowledge and fun packed presentations, and spend some time with experts and fellow nature enthusiasts you know as friends, and enjoy your immersive birding and nature vacation.
On Registration Forms, after a trip is full, it cannot be selected. Trips fill on a first-come basis, and registration forms on the site are manually updated. Occassionally, an influx of registrations cause trips to fill faster than site updates can occur, then Rachel makes and communicates adjustments to the individual registration.
Half-week options are back for 2024! You may choose all week (6 days) of field trips from Monday through Saturday, or either half of the week (3 days) of field trips Monday - Wednesday or Thursday - Saturday. Seats are limited. *As of 11/10, half-week options are FULL.
Skip to FAQ FYI or to Registration or to Deposit & Payments
FAQ FYI
Logged-in birding-wv site users: Log in prior to completing your registration, or create a User Account and log in. Logged in users will find their submitted registration and PayPal invoice link on their My Profile - My Registration page.
Registration form navigation: Desktops and laptops have easier navigation than phones. When you click "Submit My Registration," wait for the "Your Registration is Submitted" screen. Don't navigate away or close it. It may take a minute for the system to save your selections. Be patient. Thursday on the Registration form is intermittently buggy. Sometimes it's there, sometimes not. Don't worry. Scroll back up to "Have you previously attended this Festival," toggle between yes/no, and maybe Thursday will show up. If it doesn't, simply add your desired Thursday trip in the Notes field on the Registration, or Rachel will contact you for it.
Confirmation & Invoice: Upon successfully submitting a registration, a confirmation note opens "Your Registration is Submitted." Within minutes, you receive a confirmation email; check your spam folder and make birding-wv a trusted sender. A PayPal invoice usually arrives to your inbox within 72 hours. Logged in users on birding-wv.com can find their submitted registration in My Profile - My Registration.
Field Trip Transportation is provided from Burnwood. Trips depart from and return to the Burnwood breakfast location. Birders must transport themselves between Burnwood and their lodging.
Lodging packages start with a special rate agreement with our partners and we handle the reservations for you. Lodging check-in is the afternoon before your first field trip and check-out is the mornig following your last field trip. Additional days may be requested but depend upon provider availability and must be handled with the lodging provider. Other details are provided in April. Click here to review lodging options.
Festival check-in
All-week and first-half-week (birders starting Monday) meet us Sunday, any time between 6 PM and 8 PM, at Burnwood for a casual cookout welcome.
Second-half-week first-time (birders starting Thursday) meet us Thursday for Birding by Butt at Opossum Creek Retreat - coffee is ready at 6 AM; breakfast at 8 AM; outings begin at 9 AM.
Second-half-week returning birders may choose Birding by Butt or another field trip. By your registration selection, we'll see you at Burnwood at 6 AM or the Meadows before 9 AM.
Items provided upon check-in include a printed checklist, personal itinerary and name tag.
Deposit & Payments may be made from your Registration Confirmation email, PayPal invoice, the PayPal "Make Payment" button on this page, or by postal mail. A non-refundable deposit of 15% of your total is required to hold your reservation. Other payments can be made at anytime and are refundable (minus PayPal fees) until March 1 or can be held in entirety as credit and applied to your next NRBNF reservation. Total balance due by April 1.
A PayPal account is not required when you use your credit or debit card. You enter the amount you wish to remit.
Write checks payable to "New River Birding & Nature Festival" and mail to 310 West Oyler Ave, Oak Hill, WV, 25901.
Health Safety
+ cdc.gov Traveler's Health
+ Mask requirements inside New River Gorge National Park facilities may change according to the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Levels tool.
+ Anyone who develops symptoms during Festival week must self-isolate, text or call a Festival Host, and seek testing.
+ CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Urgent Care, MedExpress, or contact your pharmacy or primary care physician.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Opossum Creek Retreat Cabins *FULL
Available first to veteran supporters of NRBNF programs and the non-profit Fayette County Education Fund, Inc.
All week: 1 person $3,208. 2 people $4,562. 3 people $5,916. 4 people $7,269.
Adventures on the Gorge Cabins *FULL
All week: 1 person $2,988. 2 people $4,342. 3 people $5,695. 4 people $7,049.
Half week: 1 person $1,578. 2 people $2,256. 3 people $2,933. 4 people $3,612.
Hawks Nest Lodge
All week: 1 person: $2,365. 2 people $3,719.
Half week: 1 person $1,222. 2 people: $1,899. *FULL
No Lodging
All week: 1 person $1,805. 2 people $3,159. 3 people $4,512. 4 people $5,866.
Half week: 1 person $902. 2 people $1,579. 3 people $2,256. 4 people $2,934. *FULL
