West Virginia whitewater - Bluestone River, Mercer County

Mercer county, Spanishburg to Eads Mill section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS I-III     10.5 miles
 
The put in and take out positions on the map are wrong! You can put in where it is marked with a blue dot, but you'll be going through about 3 miles of bottom land and slow water. The red dot is not even on Bluestone River. It is positioned on a tributary of Wolf Creek and to get there from Bluestone you'll need to be able to paddle up a 40' water fall. It also states here to look at Brooks Branch which is only about 2' wide and also runs through farm land. Rich Creek is the same way. Put in on the ''Mill Dam Road'', 1 mile north on Rt.19 from where
    the blue dot is. It is on the right and you can access the river where the rapids start. It is private property you'll have to cross, but if you ask before you proceed they will let you. If you don't ask they will not let you. ''ASK BEFORE YOU UNLOAD'' There are 2 property owners
there you can go through. There is also nowhere to get out at Eads Mill, but Pipestem Lodge is a couple miles down stream. It has lodging and a tram from the river to the lodge. Talk to one of the locals there on the Mill Dam and they can be great help. Says L.

The natural beauty of West Virginia and the water flowing gracefully down Bluestone River have people coming here. The starting location is a short drive from Beckley, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. This stretch of Bluestone River in West Virginia
 
is 10.5 miles long and it is classified as a class I-III section by American Whitewater. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, this is an area with plenty of rivers for that. A bit of exercise and just being out on the river for a while will have you coming back for more. If you've been out of state whitewater rafting and kayaking you might find the rivers here more forgiving, so better not forget that the rivers in this state are less demanding. This is one of a small number of paddling stretches in this river system, there are a few others too.

Briefly about the general area:
Bluestone River gets a normal amount of yearly precipitation; July is the month that gets the most rain; February is the month with the least moisture. High temperatures at Bluestone River during the months of summer are in the 70's. Summer nighttime lows drop down to the 50's. High temperatures all through the winter are normally in the 30's with temperatures at Bluestone River dipping down into the 10's through winter nights.

Bluestone River, Spanishburg to Eads Mill road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: I-III
Length: 10.5 miles
Average Gradient: 25 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.44472
Longitude: -81.12167

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.47944
Longitude: -81.125

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Current weather conditions at Bluestone River, West Virginia
WXPort

Local climate location: BECKLEY V A HOSPITAL 1 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Holiday Inn Express PRINCETON/I-77, Princeton
7 miles away
Princeton, WV Hotel Features Ideal LocationAt the Holiday Inn Express® hotel in Princeton, WV and East River Valley, guests are just 0.8 miles from I-77 and near US 460 W. With quality amenities an...

SUPER 8 MOTEL - PRINCETON, Princeton
7 miles away
Welcome to the Super 8 of Princeton, WV conveniently located off I-77 and US 460W. Nestled in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and admist many attractions and great restaurants. Sp...

Sleep Inn & Suites, Princeton
7 miles away
Award winning Sleep Inn Princeton in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. Conveniently located off I-77 exit 9 in Princeton, WV. Great recreational opportunities are available with nearby golf cour...



OTHER_INFO
  All West Virginia Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in West Virginia.
Books about whitewater paddling on Bluestone River, West Virginia
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Bluestone River, West Virginia.
Find a whitewater outfitter in West Virginia

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Beckley, West Virginia
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Beckley, West Virginia, the metro area neareast to Bluestone River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Bluestone River.
 Whitewater Near Bluestone River:
Camp Creek, Mercer County , 2 miles away, Class II-III - 4.5 miles long (Camp Creek State Forest to Bluestone River)
Brush Creek, Mercer County , 4 miles away, Class III-IV(V) - 6.6 miles long (Confluence of Beaver Branch to confluence of Bluestone River)
Mountain Creek, Mercer County , 9 miles away, Class III-IV - 2.1 miles long (CR 4 bridge to Bluestone River)
Bluestone, Mercer/Summers County , 10 miles away, Class II-III - 21.3 miles long (Eads Mill to Bluestone State Park)
Little Bluestone River & Tributaries, Summers County , 12 miles away, Class II-III+ - 2.2 miles long (Cr 27 bridge to Bluestone River)
Pipestem Creek, Summers County , 15 miles away, Class II-III(IV) - 3 miles long (Tom Honaker Road to Bluestone Lake)
Glade Creek - New River Tributary, Raleigh County , 16 miles away, Class IV - 5 miles long (Beckley Water Supply Reservoir to confluence with Pinch Creek)
Pinch Creek - Glade Creek Tributary, Raleigh County , 17 miles away, Class IV-V - 4.2 miles long (Pluto to confluence with Glade Creek)
New River, Mercer/ Monroe/ Summers/Giles County , 18 miles away, Class I-II+(III) - 14.8 miles long (State line to Bull Falls Campground)
Madams Creek, Summers County , 19 miles away, Class III+(IV) - 2 miles long (Madams Creek Road to New River)
 Ski Areas Near Bluestone River:
Winterplace, West Virginia , 8 miles away, 603 vertical feet
Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 80 miles away, 365 vertical feet
Ski Beech, North Carolina , 87 miles away, 830 vertical feet
Hawksnest, North Carolina , 87 miles away, 619 vertical feet
Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 89 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
The Homestead, Virginia , 91 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Snowshoe, West Virginia , 94 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Bluestone River:
Holiday Inn Express PRINCETON/I-77, Princeton , 7 miles away
SUPER 8 MOTEL - PRINCETON, Princeton , 7 miles away
Sleep Inn & Suites, Princeton , 7 miles away
Comfort Inn Princeton, Princeton , 7 miles away
Hampton Inn Princeton, Princeton , 7 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Bluestone River:
Camp Creek State Forest, Camp Creek, 2 miles away
Pipestem Resort State Park, Pipestem, 12 miles away
Pipestem Koa Kampground, Pipestem, 12 miles away
 National Parks Near Bluestone River:
Bluestone National Scenic River, Glen Jean - WV , 24 miles away
Gauley River National Recreation Area, Glen Jean - WV , 24 miles away
 Lakes Near Bluestone River

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Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater