The reserve's "Island in the Field" apple took gold for Best Quality Cider at the 4th annual Wild and Seedling Pomological Exhibition in November 2023.
More than 80 people gathered above the York River in June 2023 to celebrate its designation into the National Park Service Partnership Wild and Scenic River system.
Authorization to designate the York River as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed by the 117th Congress and signed by President Biden on December 29, 2022.