Travel Blog

Whitewater Rafting in WV on the Lower New River Gorge lets you experience over 20 legendary big water rapids.

For example there are huge spring water for the fearless, summer’s refreshing, and roller-coaster waves for the family. There is also a burst of fall color for everyone which means the Lower New WV has something for every group. The Lower New River, America’s oldest river canyon, designated as a National Treasure.
Check out the beginner-friendly rapids. They make the Whitewater Rafting Upper New River trip the perfect trip for laid-back, family adventure in the great outdoors.

You’ll raft through a magnificent 1,400-foot canyon and enjoy some of the East’s most spectacular scenery.

Rafting Whitewater WV

The Gauley River also in WV offers whitewater rafting today and has drawn men and women to its banks for more than 200 years. Subsequently boasting enough diverse attractions that it has been enshrined in congressional legislation as a National Recreation Area.

For history lovers, the Gauley story mirrors the story of the United States. The tale of the Gauley River begins with the first West Virginia settlers in the 1770s. These pioneering European settlers braved the challenging terrain – and often-challenging relations with Native American residents who came before them. Chapters followed on the Civil War, industrialization that came with timber, mining and railroads. There is also the great civil works projects of the 1960s saw construction of the Summersville Dam near the Gauley’s headwaters, a marvel of engineering to behold.

The Gauley River’s reputation is built on recreation. World-class rafting and kayaking trips wind their way through the Gauley’s three sections. There is the Upper, Middle and Lower, each offering alternative difficulty levels and scenery. River outfitters offer trips from Spring to Fall, depending on local precipitation and water released by the Army Corps of Engineers from the Summersville Dam.

The boating culminates with the official “Gauley Season,” a 22-day schedule of releases for whitewater enthusiasts in September and October. As a result the Gauley attracts more than 60,000 paddlers each year. There are world-famous rapids such as “Insignificant,” “Pillow Rock” and “Sweet’s Falls.”

Wildlife watchers can find deer and even bear along the 26-mile corridor that stretches from the Summersville Dam to the Gauley’s confluence with the Kanawha River. Other animals that make their home in the area include 10 threatened species of mammals, birds, insects, fish and amphibians.

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