History

Land of Canaan

Tracking an enormous black bear one morning in the mid 1700s, George Casey Harness came to a spot, “on the western slope of the Alleghenies which overlooked a wide, well-watered, wooded and grassy valley. The breathtaking beauty of the wild valley so impressed young Harness that he involuntarily cried out, ‘Behold! The Land of Canaan!’”* This story is but one of the ways that the valley may have gotten its name. *Quoted from Jack Preble’s book Land of Canaan, (1960, McClain Printing Company, p.1)

About the NWRS

National Wildlife Refuge System

The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants.

Around the Refuge

• Public Events

  

  There are events for the whole family year-round at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Check out our calendar for a list of upcoming events.

  Events Calendar

• Get Involved

  

  There are many ways to get involved at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, from helping out with Wild School Day to planting trees for our forest restoration projects. Visit our Get Involved page to learn more.

  Get Involved

• Visitor Activities

  

  There are activities year-round at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge including wildlife viewing, cross-country skiing, hunting, photography and environmental education. Learn more on our Visitor Activities page.

  Visitor Activities