The Rio Turtle or Turtle Rock is a

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...

-shaped rock located in the North River along Augusta-Ford Hill Road (West Virginia Secondary Route 53) approximately west of the community of

Rio, West Virginia Rio (pronounced RYE-O) is an unincorporated community in southern Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bur ...

. While this stretch of the North River forms the border between

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

and Hardy Counties, the Rio Turtle is located on the Hampshire side. Over the past few decades, the rock has been continually maintained and repainted by both local professional artists and

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

artists and has become a popular tourist attraction and picnic rock in the North River Valley. After the September 11, 2001 attacks and the

2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

, the Rio Turtle's shell took a more patriotic and politically charged motif, including

American flag The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...

s, Christian crosses, and

peace symbol A number of peace symbols have been used many ways in various cultures and contexts. The dove and olive branch was used symbolically by early Christians and then eventually became a secular peace symbol, popularized by a ''Dove'' lithograph b ...

s. As of early Autumn 2006, the rock has been repainted and restored to its original

tortoiseshell Tortoiseshell or tortoise shell is a material produced from the shells of the larger species of tortoise and turtle, mainly the hawksbill sea turtle, which is a critically endangered species according to the IUCN Red List largely because of its ...

motif.

Gallery

Rio Turtle2006.jpg, The Rio Turtle, early Autumn 2006 Rio Turtle.jpeg, A Young Adventurer Conquering The Turtle, July 2008 The Rio Turtle.jpeg, Save a Horse, Ride a Turtle, July 2008

References

External links

Landmarks in West Virginia Tourist attractions in Hampshire County, West Virginia Geography of Hampshire County, West Virginia {{WestVirginia-stub