Over the course of six weeks, water levels ideal for rafting are released from Summersville Lake to provide thrilling whitewater opportunities on a set release schedule. Every whitewater paddler in the United States, and most parts of the world, have heard about the Upper Gauley River in West Virginia. “Rapid names help other people learn the river, and so scale up the numbers of people visiting it.” There is no greater whitewater challenge than running Gauley River rapids. Fall Upper Gauley rafting in West Virginia is more than a rafting trip. Read More. RIVER SECTION: Upper Gauley If you’ve seen a picture of the Gauley or of one of your friends rafting it, chances are that you’ve seen them here. Spring Gauley can run at water levels that are much higher than fall releases. This is no lazy river tube ride. RIVER SECTION: Lower Gauley This scenic rapid can be entered from both the left and and right side of an island that splits the current. Click a rapid below to get started. The Gauley River can be summed up in one word: rugged. There’s a reason. Read more. The Whitewater Classification System (in basic terms): Class I: (Easy) Moving water with small disturbances on the surface and a few small waves.There is little to no danger to swimmers. The Upper Gauley is one of the wildest rides you can take in a raft in the world. Each fall, paddlers from every civilized continent come to experience the “Wild and Wonderful” that is the Gauley River. The Gauley is a dam-released river, so autumn water levels are very different from the rest of the year. This stretch of river hosts mile after mile of high quality rafting with a guaranteed dam release flow of 2800cfs for two months each fall. Coming into pillow rock on the Upper Gauley...a Class V dangerous rapid with severe undertows and a dangerous brush with Volkswagon rock- WE WIPE OUT! Explore the 20 named rapids on the remote and scenic the Lower Gauley River. A good one. While some rapids have names, these aren't the only ones rafters encounter as they take on the Gauley River during the special fall season. Gauley River Rapids – class II-V Not All Days are Created Equal. Check out a comprehensive guide to the Upper Gauley River's 30 named whitewater rapids. Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details Duration: 1 minute, 58 seconds. Below you’ll find detailed descriptions, videos and photo resources for every major rapid of the Upper Gauley River. Explore the Wild and Wonderful National Parks of Southern West Virginia. This unspoiled river canyon features more than 100 steep and technical rapids with huge waves. marciad2017911 wrote a review Apr 2019. the best rafting on the east coast! Share. Vigorous rapids, magnificent scenery and accessibility combine to make Gauley River rafting one of world’s top whitewater experiences. Welcome to the Gauley River Rapids an online guide exploring all the rapids of the Upper and Lower Gauley River. The Gauley River is a 105-mile-long (169 km) river in West Virginia.It merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, a tributary of the Ohio River.The river features numerous recreational whitewater areas, including those in Gauley River National Recreation Area downstream of the Summersville Dam All reviews gauley river burrito bar white water rafting rafting trip lower gauley his knowledge great guide great trip these guys class rapids cookies two nights gauley season wild ride an awesome experience highly recommend this company potato salad great rafting this past weekend express trip … The Gauley River offers so much. More than a vacation. ACE Adventure Resort Official Sponsor of Gauley River Rapids, Fall Gauley Rafting Trips Dropping more than 668 feet through 25 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. At the Canyon Doors, twin pillars of rock tower more than 100 feet above the river, evoking mythical scenes out of movies like “Lord of the Rings.” When this happens, we typically run Gauley River rafting trips on Lower section of the river. River-sculpted sandstone block are strewn about the gorge. Pair that with the pounding current and where the water … The northern section of the river passes by small towns surrounded by rural woodlands before Summersville Dam more or less creates a lake from Canvas to Mt. The Gauley River Marathon is not recommended for first time rafters. Why? Here you can view videos, aerial photos, images and written descriptions for every major rapid on the Upper Gauley and Lower Gauley trips on the Gauley River in West Virginia. The Upper section of the Gauley River gets so much attention that would be paddlers often overlook the amazing stretch of whitewater to be found on the Lower Gauley River. Beautiful area to explore. Dropping more than 650 feet in 25 miles, the Gauley River features over 100 rapids. Learn more about the Gauley River National Recreation Area and the incredible rafting opportunities it provides. It’s a challenging, but reasonable run suitable for beginning rafters and veterans alike. The water levels are guaranteed during the fall dam release. Upper Gauley river rapids in this comprehensive online guide. The Gauley River contains several class V+ rapids, making it one of the most adventurous white water boating rivers in the east. Upper Gauley Rapids A Guide To The Upper Gauley River Fall Upper Gauley River Rafting. Upper Gauley Rafting Trips | Lower Gauley Rafting Trips | Fall Gauley Overnight Trips | Featured Gauley River Trips, More Whitewater Rafting Trips It’s a beautiful river. The Gauley River in West Virginia is recognized by paddlers as one of the top-ranked rivers in the world. A River Worth Saving “For me, [naming the rapids] was a conservation opportunity, as the Gauley River had the potential to convince large numbers of people that wilderness in general was worth preserving,” Stuart said. White water. Our Lower Gauley rafting trip is 17 miles long and includes thrilling rapids like Class V “Heaven’s Gate” and “Pure Screaming Hell.” Though not as deep as the New River Gorge, the Gauley River canyon is a lush and verdant paradise, even without its rapids. Running the Gauley is a milestone, a tradition, and a pilgrimage. You might catch rapids near standard fall release, or you might even be lucky enough to run the Lower Gauley at levels times higher than normal fall flows.. Summertime levels which make the river narrower and the drops steeper. New River Gorge Rafting | Upper New Family Rafting | Overnight Rafting Trips, Outdoor Adventures There’s a reason. The Gauley River was the chosen site for the World Whitewater Rafting Championships in 2001. This formidable river deals out 25 rapids in just the first 9 miles of water and hosts legendary class V rapids like Pillow Rock, Iron Ring, Lost Paddle and more. This is it. HISTORY The Gauley River only rages once a year, and thankfully, that time lines up with Bridge Day.So you can catch all the aerial thrills of the BASE jumping, rappelling and high lining, then go full-force with world-class whitewater rapids. Come explore video, photos and detailed descriptions of all the Upper Gauley river rapids in this comprehensive online guide. The Upper Gauley River is a paddling milestone for rafters, kayakers and open boaters in the United States. Class II: (Novice/Beginner) Faster moving water with easily avoided rocks, holes, and waves.Danger to swimmers is still slight but care must be taken. Box 246 Glen Jean, WV 25846-0246 The Gauley River is a 105-mile-long river that merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, a tributary of the Ohio River. Rails to trails. Welcome to the Gauley River Rapids an online guide exploring all the rapids of the Upper and Lower Gauley River. Seeking BIG whitewater rafting? Hiking. Footage from a special release of 4700 cfs on the Upper Gauley River. Nebo. The scenery is remote and impressive. Gorgeside Zipline Tour | Rock Climbing | Kayaking | Summersville Lake Pontoon Adventure | Guided Hikes. RIVER SECTION: Lower Gauley Also known as Screaming Right Turn Rapid, this broken ledge system comes at a sharp right hand turn in the course of the river at the beginning of Koontz Bend a three mile detour in the course of the river. New River Gorge Rafting | Upper New Family Rafting | Overnight Rafting Trips, Outdoor Adventures Insignificant Rapid at 2800 cfs (downstream) Filmed from the large slanted undercut rock on the right, this video describes the features present in the lower section of Insignificant Rapid and includes footage of whitewater rafting through the rapid. ACE Adventure Resort Official Sponsor of Gauley River Rapids, Fall Gauley Rafting Trips Once considered some of the toughest runnable whitewater on the planet, the Gauley continues to boast some of the most formidable commercially-run rapids in the whitewater industry. While the rapids are not quite as difficult the scenery is arguably more remote and breathtaking. For many, it’s also a reunion. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 26 contributions 5 helpful votes. Upper Gauley Rafting Trips | Lower Gauley Rafting Trips | Fall Gauley Overnight Trips | Featured Gauley River Trips, More Whitewater Rafting Trips Because it’s the one time out of the year, thanks to a scheduled dam release, that river runners can experience 26 miles of guaranteed, awe-inspiring, Upper Gauley River rapids in a wilderness setting. Horse back riding. Often overlooked for the bigger whitewater upstream the Lower Gauley River is legendary in its’ own way. 800-759-7238 CONTACT It’s a whitewater milestone of the most remote, challenging and technical whitewater rafting run commercially in United States. The more exciting lines are found from the left entrance as there is a nice broken ledge system to navigate. All flips, swims, dumps, and other CARNAGE is from the Upper Gauley River in West Virginia. The Upper Gauley whitewater rafting offered by New & Gauley River Adventures features class 3-5 rapids and is rated one of the world's best river trips. Gauley River National Recreation Area P.O. But, most importantly, the rapids are huge and incredibly fun. The Summersville dam release is scheduled and controlled to provide extreme water flow on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays in September and October. 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