Event Date & Time
Date: May 16, 2026Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
(Saturday)
May 16 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
“National Kids to Parks Day” will be celebrated on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Now in its 16th year, this annual initiative, organized by the National Park Trust, encourages families to get outdoors and explore local, state, and national parks, public lands and waterways.
In honor of National Kids to Parks Day, we invite you to meet the Rocket Boys at McKeever Lodge, Pipestem Resort State Park, for the inaugural Hall of Fame induction recognizing distinguished West Virginians.
In the late 1950s in Coalwood, WV, friends Homer Hickam, Roy Lee Cooke, Jimmy O’Dell Carrol, Billy Rose and Quentin Wilson, known as the Rocket Boys, were inspired by Sputnik to build rockets. Despite local opposition and limited resources, their achievements inspired the film “October Sky.”
For more information, please contact the park activities coordinator, Scott Hill, at 304-466-1800.