West Virginia whitewater - Gauley River, Nicholas/ Fayette County

Nicholas/ Fayette county, Summersville Dam to Mason Branch section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS IV-V     9.8 miles
 
To view Summersville Lake level and the out flow from the Summersville Dam, view: http://www.class-vi.com/summersville-lake.cfm Says Jeff Proctor

If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside West Virginia you might find the rivers here a bit more manageable, so you'd better keep in mind that many of the sections here are safe for beginners. The scenic beauty of Nicholas/ Fayette County and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water will make you feel great. The Summersville Dam to Mason Branch section of Gauley River in Nicholas/ Fayette
    County is 9.8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class IV-V section. A bit of exercise and just being out on the river for a while will make you glad you came. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some
kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling spots. On this section you do get some distance, it's good length for a morning trip. This is not the only paddling stretch in this river system, there are others too. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick.

Briefly about the general area:
Pillow Rock Rapids is an inspiring place to take a look at while you're here; the Carnifex Trail is a fine hiking trail
 
nearby. This river has it all. Summertime highs at Gauley River frequently tend to be in the 80's. Summer night lows descend down to the 60's. Daytime highs through the winter are in the 40's, and nighttime lows at Gauley River during the wintertime regularly sink into the 20's.
Don't leave Gauley River without first paying a visit to Lost Paddle Rapids, and there is a nice hiking trail nearby called the Way Back Trail. Much precipitation falls at Gauley River; July is when you get the most rain here; the driest month of the year is February.

Gauley River, Summersville Dam to Mason Branch road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: IV-V
Length: 9.8 miles
Average Gradient: 36 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.21849
Longitude: -80.88939

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.22156
Longitude: -81.00377

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Current weather conditions at Gauley River, West Virginia
WXPort

Local climate location: CORTON 15 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Best Western Summersville Lake Motor Lodge, Summersville
8 miles away
Come experience friendly customer service and convenient access to many local attractions such as Summersville Lake, Good Evening Ranch and the New River Gorge Bridge while staying at this Summersvill...

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Summersville, Wv, Summersville
8 miles away
Country Inn & Suites Summersville offers a variety of 106 guest rooms and suites with 8 King Suites featuring a living room with a sofabed and a two person whirlpool. Hotel has sprinklers and smoke de...

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Charleston North (Elkview), Elkview
9 miles away
Country Inn & Suites offers a variety of 90 guest rooms and Suites with 10 King Suites featuring a living room with a sofabed and 2 person whirlpool. Hotel has sprinklers and smoke detectors in all ar...



OTHER_INFO
  All West Virginia Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in West Virginia.
Books about whitewater paddling on Gauley River, West Virginia
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Gauley 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 Oak Hill, West Virginia
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Oak Hill, West Virginia, the metro area neareast to Gauley River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Gauley River.
 Whitewater Near Gauley River:
Meadow River, Fayette/ Nicholas County , 3 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 5 miles long (Route 19 to confluence with Gauley River)
Gauley River, Nicholas/Fayette County , 4 miles away, Class III+(IV) - 5.5 miles long (Mason Branch to Bucklick Branch)
Meadow River, Nicholas/Fayette County , 6 miles away, Class III-IV - 5 miles long (Nallen to Route 19 Bridge)
Glade Creek - Meadow River Tributary, Fayette County , 6 miles away, Class III-V - 2 miles long (County 60/12 bridge to Meadow River confluence)
Peters Creek, Nicholas County , 7 miles away, Class II-III+(V+) - 2.5 miles long (County 22 bridge to mouth)
Gauley River, Nicholas/Fayette County , 9 miles away, Class III-IV(V) - 11 miles long (Bucklick Branch to Swiss)
Muddlety Creek, Nicholas County , 9 miles away, Class III-IV - 4.5 miles long (West Virginia 41 to Summersville Lake)
Mill Creek - New River Tributary, Fayette County , 11 miles away, Class II-III - 5 miles long (Hopewell Road bridge to Ansted)
Anglins Creek, Nicholas County , 11 miles away, Class II-IV - 9.5 miles long (CR 17/2 bridge to confluence of Meadow River)
Keeney's Creek, Fayette County , 11 miles away, Class V+ - 0.75 miles long (to New River)
 Ski Areas Near Gauley River:
Winterplace, West Virginia , 36 miles away, 603 vertical feet
Snowshoe, West Virginia , 67 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
The Homestead, Virginia , 76 miles away, 700 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Gauley River:
Best Western Summersville Lake Motor Lodge, Summersville , 8 miles away
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Summersville, Wv, Summersville , 8 miles away
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Charleston North (Elkview), Elkview , 9 miles away
Super 8 Summersville, Summersville , 9 miles away
Sleep Inn Summersville, Summersville , 9 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Gauley River:
Wilderness RV Campground, Mt. Lookout, 4 miles away
Summersville Lake Retreat, Mt Nebo, 5 miles away
Mountain Lake Campground, Summersville, 6 miles away
 Trails Near Gauley River:
Carnifex Trail, Nicholas County , 1 miles away
Way Back Trail, Nicholas County , 5 miles away
 National Parks Near Gauley River:
Bluestone National Scenic River, Glen Jean - WV , 23 miles away
Gauley River National Recreation Area, Glen Jean - WV , 23 miles away
 Lakes Near Gauley River

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater