Gauley River National Recreation
Area
 P. O. Box 246
Glen Jean, WV 25846
Phone
Park Headquarters
(304) 465-0508
Canyon Rim Visitor Center
(304) 574-2115
Explore the Gauley River!
 Wild and Wonderful
The
25 miles of free-flowing Gauley River and the six miles of the Meadow
River pass through scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide variety
of natural and cultural features. The Gauley River contains several
class V+ rapids, making it one of the most adventurous white water
boating rivers in the east.
Gauley River Whitewater
Dropping more than 668 feet through 28 miles of
rugged terrain, the Gauley River's complex stretch of whitewater
features more than 100 rapids with a steep gradient, technical runs,
an incredible volume of water and huge waves. Its vigorous rapids,
scenic quality and inaccessibility combine to make Gauley River one of
the premier whitewater runs in the world.
Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park
Nestled on the rim of the Gauley River Canyon
near Summersville, West Virginia, Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State
Park is an important Civil War battle site. This Civil War battle
represented the failure of a Confederate drive to regain control of
the Kanawha Valley.
Nature & Science
The Gauley River Basin is part of the
unglaciated Allegheny Plateau where the age of the rock strata exceeds
300 million years before present. The high knobs and ridges are deeply
dissected by young streams that create narrow canyons with steep
slopes.
The Gauley River begins in Pocahontas County,
West Virginia, at an elevation of about 4,600 feet. Flowing generally
west-southwest and draining 1,422 square miles, the Gauley meets the
New River at Gauley Bridge and forms the Kanawha River, a major
tributary of the Ohio River. The mouth of the Gauley River, 107 miles
from its source, is at an elevation of about 600 feet.
The resulting average rate of fall is 37.4 feet
per mile. Downstream from Summersville Dam where the boundary of the
recreation area begins, the river has cut a gorge of up to 500 feet
deep in places. The Gauley River flows through the gorge for
approximately 24 miles with a stream gradient of 28 feet per mile.
Within the gorge, the river is characterized by alternating pools and
rapids with torrential water, boulders and exposed bedrock.
Vegetation is diverse and abundant. Extremes in
topography, elevation and microclimate have caused tremendous
variation in plant life. Most of the recreation area is below 2,000
feet and contains the central hardwood forest type.
Tree species found in this timber type include
the red and white oak, American beech, yellow poplar, hemlock and
dogwood. Such vegetation supports a wide variety of wildlife species.
There are many rare and threatened species
within the recreation area. They include one federally threatened
plant species, Virginia spiraea, and five category 2 species,
Barbara's buttons, Allegheny woodrat, cerulean warbler, eastern
hellbender and finescale saddled darter.
Category 2 species may be proposed for
threatened or endangered status, but more data is required to confirm
the need for such protection. State-listed species of concern found
within the recreation area include nine plants, one bird, one
butterfly, one fish and two amphibians.
Whitewater
Thousands of whitewater enthusiasts come to the
Gauley every fall season, to paddle what is considered by many to be
the one of the best whitewater rivers in the country. Gauley Season
begins the first weekend after Labor Day, and continues for six
weekends (five 4-day weekends, and one 2-day weekend).
Dropping more than 668 feet through 28 miles of
rugged terrain, the Gauley River's complex stretch of whitewater
features more than 100 rapids with a steep gradient, technical runs,
an incredible volume of water and huge waves.
Its vigorous rapids, scenic quality and
inaccessibility combine to make Gauley River one of the premier
whitewater runs in the world.
Whitewater rafting attracts over 60,000
adventurers to the Gauley River each year. The upper Gauley offers
tremendous class III to V+ drops in steep, turbulent chutes such as
Pillow Rock, Iron Ring and Sweet's Falls, and rocky routes that demand
constant maneuvering such as Lost Paddle and Shipwreck.
This section of the river requires experience
and minimum age of 16. The lower Gauley is a 12-mile stretch, rated
class III to V that feels like a watery roller coaster (minimum age 12
- 14).
Did You Know?
Dropping more than 668 feet through 28 miles of rugged terrain, the
Gauley River's complex stretch of whitewater features more than 100
rapids with a steep gradient, technical runs, an incredible volume of
water and huge waves.
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