Thrill seekers searching for the adrenaline rush of crashing through frothy waters have an embarrassment of riches at hand. Tennessee’s Ocoee River, for example, offers a whitewater rafting and kayaking paradise. The Grand Canyon has many river-rafting options based on your time, budget, and appetite for adventure. West Virginia’s Gauley River National Recreation Area also deserves a place on every river rat’s must-visit list. Its 11,000 acres of natural beauty, rapids, and diverse landscapes make it the perfect outdoor destination.
The Summersville Lake feeds the 105-mile Gauley River, creating a steady flow suitable for nearly all visitors. But every fall, waters released from the Summersville Dam crash down the Gauley River, passing through rugged terrain and massive gorges, creating a perfect outdoor adventure. Travelers looking for a calmer experience can enjoy scenic trips along the lower half of the Gauley River. The soothing environs and beauty mix well with some still-challenging Class 3 rapids. (Anyone who wants fully placid waters can visit Summersville Lake, West Virginia’s largest.) The cold waters from Summersville Lake also create an angler’s paradise. Trout, muskie, bass, and walleye call the lake home. The stretch of comparatively calmer waters offers a perfect juxtaposition to the Upper Gauley’s choppy ride.
The Gauley River National Recreation Area is 65 miles from West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston. Guided trips down the river, with meals, start at just over $200 during the busiest season. A long day battling rapids will leave you tired; rest your head at local resorts and lodgings, which offer campsites at $15 per night, with classier digs running higher in price. Those looking for a challenging whitewater rafting experience should visit in the six weeks after Labor Day, when the dam water is released. Bring your best trekking gear and a change of clothes.
Explore the Gauley’s many facets
The Gauley River National Recreation Area’s steep fall — 28 feet per mile — creates over 100 challenging rapids. The sheer amount of water gushing downriver creates an undulating, foaming tempest passing around boulders, interspersed with calmer pools, ready to test the heartiest rafters. Then, once a year, Gauley Season starts — and things get interesting. Every fall, on the first weekend after Labor Day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases water from the Summersville Dam, inundating the river six weekends in a row. The river’s rush increases, drawing some 60,000 adrenaline junkies every year. The transformed Upper Gauley River then gains rapids between Class III and V+, a mass of chutes and drops, creating five of the most challenging guided rapids in the U.S. These tricky waters and protruding obstacles require constant vigilance and aren’t open to everyone. The high-risk rapids only admit rafters older than 16 years old. The 12-mile Lower Gauley’s class III to V rapids have a minimum age of 12 to 14. Be sure you know the risks involved before traversing the river. You can bring your boat or hop aboard with a local outfitter.
The Gauley River’s rushing waters have created a deep gorge teeming with wildlife and myriad landscapes. Oscillations in elevation and microclimates make traversing along the rafting route feel like traveling through several natural environments simultaneously. Beech, poplar, oak, and other tree species alternate, providing a home for rare wildlife species like the Allegheny woodrat, the eastern hellbender, and other threatened creatures. Mixing in are rare plants like the Appalachian Blue Violet. All of this beauty can be explored via the trails and parks within the recreation area. Any visit during Gauley Season must end at the Greenbrier Valley region, a breathtaking but underrated West Virginia area perfect for enjoying fall foliage.
