Gladie Visitor Center to Reopen with New Partner: FIND Outdoors will reopen Red River Gorge Visitor Center in March

Release Date: 

Contact(s): Mary O'Malley


Morehead, KY, January 5, 2022 — The Daniel Boone National Forest is excited to announce that the Gladie Visitor Center in the heart of the Red River Gorge will reopen in March and be managed by a new partner, FIND Outdoors. The Gladie Visitor Center has delivered information to hundreds of thousands of national forest visitors and helped the public learn about the area’s cultural and natural resources since it opened in 2004.

With shifts in technologies changing how the public receives information on outdoor recreation experiences, and with the pandemic forcing the closure of the Gladie Visitor Center, the U.S. Forest Service has closely reassessed how to deliver visitor information and increase environmental education programming. This reassessment has led to an exciting partnership with FIND Outdoors.

FIND Outdoors is a prominent partner of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and operates several sites across the eastern United States. Originally established fifty years ago as the Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association, FIND Outdoors has rebranded to reflect its growing operational scope. In addition to operating the Cradle of Forestry site in North Carolina, FIND operates more than 20 other recreation areas, campgrounds and visitor centers in multiple National Forests in North Carolina, Indiana and Georgia.

“We are excited that FIND Outdoors is bringing their expertise to serve the public in this capacity and are confident that they will help deliver a new era of learning and public land recreation in the ever-popular Red River Gorge.” said Cumberland District Ranger Jonathan Kazmierski.

This reopening will include a new gift shop, updated visitor information, and many exciting events throughout 2022.

“FIND is an acronym for Forest Inspired Nature Discovery,” said Natalie Britt, President and CEO of FIND Outdoors. “After 50 years of existence, FIND encapsulates not only our goal to help the public find a connection to the natural world but also our own dedication to continued growth and exploration of the ways we enhance that connection. We look forward to beginning work at the Gladie Cultural Environmental Learning Center and discovering new ways to connect our visitors to the Red River Gorge.”

For more information about FIND, visit the official website at https://gofindoutdoors.org

For more information about the Daniel Boone National Forest, visit the official website at www.fs.usda.gov/dbnf or social media sites at www.facebook.com/danielboonenf and www.twitter.com/DanielBooneNF