West Virginia whitewater - Gauley River, Nicholas/Fayette County

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

 

CLASS III+(IV)     5.5 miles
  This stretch of Gauley River in Nicholas/Fayette County is 5.5 miles long and has been rated as a class III+(IV) section by American Whitewater. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in West Virginia is often easier than elsewhere, so if you're not from around here don't forget that many runs in this state are very easy. The natural beauty of Nicholas/Fayette County and the water flowing gracefully down Gauley River beats anything. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are lots of good places for that around here. Getting your paddling muscles
    activated and spending some quality time in nature are great attractions for lots of people. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem and if you make reservations
in advance you're all set. The put-in location is a short drive from Oak Hill, as you can see on the road map further down. This stretch has has enough mileage, it's good length for a morning trip. There are plenty of other stretches in this river system that can be paddled as well.

Briefly about the general area:
Gauley River gets a great deal of water; through the month of July you get the most rain around here, and February is when it's the driest. A cool spot to stop by in close proximity to Gauley River is Koontz Bend, and hiking is a
 
popular thing to do around Gauley River; Carnifex Trail is a great local trail.
The surroundings of this river have so much to offer. There's great hiking along the Way Back Trail, and Koontz Flume Rapids is a good local attraction. Through the long summer days at Gauley River temperatures are regularly in the 80's. Summer night lows descend down to the 60's. The cold days of the wintertime come with highs in the 40's; nighttime lows at Gauley River all through the wintertime commonly descend into the 20's.

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

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III+(IV)
Length: 5.5 miles
Average Gradient: 26 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.22213
Longitude: -80.99072

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.22682
Longitude: -81.03062

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Current weather conditions at Gauley River, West Virginia
WXPort

Local climate location: CORTON 10 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Best Western Summersville Lake Motor Lodge, Summersville
12 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...

Quality Inn New River, Fayetteville
12 miles away
The Quality Inn New River is minutes from the New River Gorge Bridge and outdoor recreational activities like golfing, hunting, fishing, rock climbing and white water rafting at New River Gorge Nation...

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Summersville, Wv, Summersville
12 miles away
Located 20 minutes from White Water Rafting...



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:
Peters Creek, Nicholas County , 2 miles away, Class II-III+(V+) - 2.5 miles long (County 22 bridge to mouth)
Gauley River, Nicholas/ Fayette County , 4 miles away, Class IV-V - 9.8 miles long (Summersville Dam to Mason Branch)
Gauley River, Nicholas/Fayette County , 5 miles away, Class III-IV(V) - 11 miles long (Bucklick Branch to Swiss)
Meadow River, Fayette/ Nicholas County , 6 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 5 miles long (Route 19 to confluence with Gauley River)
Mill Creek - New River Tributary, Fayette County , 8 miles away, Class II-III - 5 miles long (Hopewell Road bridge to Ansted)
Mill Creek - New River Tributary, Fayette County , 8 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 2 miles long (Ansted to confluence of New River)
Glade Creek - Meadow River Tributary, Fayette County , 9 miles away, Class III-V - 2 miles long (County 60/12 bridge to Meadow River confluence)
Meadow River, Nicholas/Fayette County , 9 miles away, Class III-IV - 5 miles long (Nallen to Route 19 Bridge)
Keeney's Creek, Fayette County , 10 miles away, Class V+ - 0.75 miles long (to New River)
Laurel Creek - New River Tributary, Fayette County , 11 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 1.5 miles long (Beckwith to Cotton Hill)
 Ski Areas Near Gauley River:
Winterplace, West Virginia , 35 miles away, 603 vertical feet
Snowshoe, West Virginia , 72 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
The Homestead, Virginia , 80 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Canaan Valley, West Virginia , 117 miles away, 850 vertical feet
Timberline, West Virginia , 120 miles away, 1000 vertical feet
Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 120 miles away, 365 vertical feet
Ski Beech, North Carolina , 126 miles away, 830 vertical feet
Hawksnest, North Carolina , 126 miles away, 619 vertical feet
Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 128 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
Wisp, Maryland , 135 miles away, 610 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Gauley River:
Best Western Summersville Lake Motor Lodge, Summersville , 12 miles away
Quality Inn New River, Fayetteville , 12 miles away
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Summersville, Wv, Summersville , 12 miles away
Summersville Super 8 Motel, Summersville , 13 miles away
Sleep Inn Summersville, Summersville , 13 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Gauley River:
Summersville Lake Retreat, Mount Nebo, 10 miles away
Mountain Lake Campground, Summersville, 11 miles away
Fayetteville Mountain Laurel, Fayetteville, 11 miles away
 Trails Near Gauley River:
Way Back Trail, Nicholas County , 4 miles away
Carnifex Trail, Nicholas County , 5 miles away
 National Parks Near Gauley River:
Bluestone National Scenic River, Glen Jean - WV , 20 miles away
Gauley River National Recreation Area, Glen Jean - WV , 20 miles away

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