West Virginia’s Ultimate Adventure Resort: Rafting and Water Park Thrills for Adrenaline Junkies

If you’re ready for an adventure-filled getaway hidden away on 1,500 acres of West Virginia forest, where you never even have to leave the resort because it has every activity you could possibly want right there on the property, then you want ACE Adventure Resort. Situated in the city of Oak Hill, right next to New River Gorge National Park, the vacation spot offers white water rafting, a spring-fed lake water park, zip-lining, and so much more.

The closest airport is the Raleigh County Memorial Airport near Beckley, West Virginia, which is just about 30 minutes south of the resort, but with only the regional Contour Airlines operating out of there, flight options are few and far between. The best option would be to fly into West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston, the state’s capital and an affordable and fun vacation destination of its own, which is just over 1 hour northwest of the ACE Adventure and provides much more travel flexibility.

You’ll need a home base to recover at after participating in all of the outdoor activities, and ACE has plenty of lodging choices, depending on how many people you’re traveling with and your preferred accommodation style. Stay alongside the New River Gorge at one of the mountaintop property’s bunkhouses, cabins, cottages, tents, chalets, lodges, or log homes, with rates starting at $79 per night. The starting rates go all the way up to $799, with the accommodations getting larger and more luxurious as you go. The 1,080-square-foot Red Fox Log Home is at the top of that list and features seven bedrooms with 13 total beds, three bathrooms, a hot tub, picnic table, fire pit, and a full kitchen. Choose wisely to ensure you’re well-rested to take full advantage of all the outdoor adventures awaiting you.

One of the biggest activities at ACE Adventure Resort is white water rafting. There are a few different options. Year-round, wade through the rapids of the Lower New River Gorge on a half-day, full-day, overnight, or private trip. You can also explore the Upper New River on a full-day or overnight adventure. During fall, that’s when you can take on challenging Gauley River rafting excursions, which is a perfect outdoor destination for thrill seekers, with the upper section of the river having especially difficult rapids.

For a calmer day on the water, the resort features a water park on a 5-acre lake. Chill out and relax on the beach or race through the park’s obstacles, including massive water slides, an inflatable climbing mountain, zip lines over the water, and more. Perhaps exploring the woodsy areas is more your speed. Luckily, the 1,500-acre property features plenty of scenic hiking trails overlooking rivers and waterfalls, paths for mountain biking, secluded areas for birding, fishing spots, and mountaintop courses for disc golf.

After working up an appetite, it’s time to fill your belly. While many of the lodging options have kitchens or kitchenettes, that doesn’t mean you have to cook your meals. It is vacation, after all. There are multiple on-site restaurants, including Woody’s Grill, which is next to the water park and perfect for lunch with options like sandwiches and wood-fired pizzas. Near there is also The Slushie Stand, which sells both regular and alcoholic slushies, as well as beer. The Lost Paddle Bar and Grill, meanwhile, offers American food favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the resort’s busy season — late May to early October — and solely dinner during the rest of the year.