The Nitty-Gritty for Your Trip Planning
Transportation
♦ Arrange your own transportation to/from: your lodging; the breakfast location Burnwood; and Opossum Creek Retreat headquarters and Birding by Butt.
♦ Field trips depart from and return to the breakfast location at Burnwood.
♦ Field trip transportation is provided, usually by bus.
♦ Go to Where We Are
Lodging
♦ Lodging check-in is the day before your first field trip and check-out is the day after your last field trip.
♦ Additional lodging days may be requested but depend on lodging availability.
♦ All lodging options are on a first-come-first-serve basis. Opossum Creek Retreat cabins are first available to veteran NRBNF goers.
♦ We have special rate deals with our lodging partners that we pass on to you!
♦ Go to Lodging
⇓Meals ⇓Trip Times ⇓Presentations ⇓Check-in ⇓Ethics ⇓Travel
Packages
♦ Package options are All week Monday through Saturday, first-Half week Monday through Wednesday, or second-Half week Thursday through Saturday.
♦ Packages are available with lodging (selected on your Registration), or without lodging (you make your own lodging reservation).
♦ Each day includes a field trip, three meals, presentations, field trip transportation (carpool exceptions), and drinks and snacks on field trips and at the Meadows at Opossum Creek Retreat.
♦ Go to Registration
Meals
♦ Breakfast is hot buffet style at 6 AM sharp, under an outdoor pavilion at Burnwood.
--exceptions: Cranberry breakfasts are waiting for you on the bus;
--exception: Birding by Butt has coffee on at 6 AM, breakfast at 8 AM... roll in when you're ready.
♦ Lunch is picnic style on field trips, prepared by the outdoor adventure centers that own the busses.
--exception: Birding by Butt lunch is ready at 12 PM, or you can adventure to find lunch on your own in the areas of Lansing, Fayetteville and Oak Hill.
♦ Dinner is ready at 6 PM in the Meadows at Opossum Creek Retreat, Monday through Saturday.
♦ An assortment of drinks and snacks are provided throughout the day; bring your own favorites.
♦ Saturday's Farewell Pizza Party starts at 6 PM with music (for All Week and second-Half week Thursday-Saturday packages).
♦ Go to Our Culinary Team
Trip Times
♦ Cranberry trips depart from Burnwood at 6:05 AM or as quickly as possible, with provided bagged breakfast waiting on the bus; trips return by 5 PM.
♦ Birding by Butt, you roll in to the Meadows at Opossum Creek Retreat when you're ready - coffee is on at 6, breakfast at 8, outings begin at 9 AM; ends with lunch at noon.
♦ Other trips depart from Brunwood by 7 AM and return by 2 PM.
♦ Historic Excursions depart Burnwood at 8 AM and return after lunch around noon.
♦ Go to Trip Descriptions
Presentations
♦ Afternoon Presentations are at 4 PM in the Meadows at Opossum Creek Retreat; duration 45-60 minutes.
♦ Evening Presentations are at 7 PM, immediately following dinner in the Meadows; duration 60-90 minutes.
♦ Saturday evening Farewell Pizza Party starts at 6 PM with music in the Meadows (for All week and Thursday to Saturday Half week packages).
♦ Go to Speaker & Trip Schedule
Festival Check-in is by Your First Field Trip
If your first field trip is:
♦ Monday (All-week and first-Half week)- meet Sunday at Burnwood for a casual cookout welcome, between 6 PM and 8 PM.
♦ Thursday (newcomer, second-Half week)- meet Thursday for Birding by Butt at Opossum Creek Retreat; coffee is on at 6, breakfast at 8, outings begin at 9 AM.
♦ Thursday (returner, second-Half week)- choose any field trip; by your selection we'll either see you at Birding by Butt, or at Burnwood for any other trip.
♦ Items provided upon check-in include a printed checklist, personal itinerary, name tag, and t-shirt.
eBird
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Merlin (Playback)
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Travel
♦ Yeager Airport (CRW) in Charleston, WV is approximately 60 miles (1.25 hours) from our Opossum Creek Retreat headquarters.
♦ Raleigh County Memorial Airport (BKW) in Beckley, WV is approximately 36 miles (43 minutes) from our Opossum Creek Retreat headquarters.
♦ Car rentals are available at the airports - make arrangements in advance as they're not open 24/7.
♦ Local dining options are plentiful, click here for the New River Gorge Visitors Bureau list of restaurants.
♦ In the mood for shopping local or picking up souvenirs, click for the New River Gorge Visitors Bureau shopping guide.
♦ If you forget something or want something new, we have local gear shops ACE Adventure Gear and Water Stone Outdoors, as well as Wal-Mart nearby.
