To reach our biggest thrills you'll have to travel south. You'll be glad you did. From the moment you arrive in Fayetteville, you will know you are in a special place.
Nestled in the heart of the New River Gorge, the New / Gauley basecamp is easy to get to but hard to leave. We're located in the Southern West Virginia Appalachian Highlands, sharing a border with the New River Gorge National River, directly under the world famous New River Gorge Bridge. It takes approximately five and a half hours to get here from Washington, DC or Baltimore, MD. Coupled with the excitement and natural beauty of our rivers and canyons, we will insure you of unforgettable and unmatched rafting thrills on America's Best Whitewater.

The New River is actually one of the oldest rivers in North America. At least 65 million years in its present course, the New River was once part of an immense lake that covered much of the New River Gorge area. The river shares the geological aspect of the Nile, flowing south to north, with its headwaters in the Blue Ridge Mts. of North Carolina. As the river flows through Virginia into West Virginia, it picks up several warm water tributaries, making it an unusually warm water river (temperatures range from 55 Degrees in April to 80 degrees in August). Today the 53 miles of this ancient river are preserved as the New River Gorge National River under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The river flows through a rugged canyon up to 1300 feet in depth. The canyon is majestic, where a fast growing deciduous forest hides the old coal towns that once flourished along the banks of the New River. In 1978 the National Park Service declared the New River a National River and has since sought to preserve and protect it. Rafted commercially for the first time in 1969, the New River continues to provide thrills for all ages and has become known as the "Grand Canyon" of the eastern U.S.. The rapids on the New are classified from Class I to Class V, with I being least difficult and VI being most difficult.

The Gauley River is truly one of the rare jewels of World Class Whitewater. It combines the awesome power of a big water river with tight, technical whitewater that is nearly continuous from beginning to end. The Gauley is rated by many as the best whitewater trip in the world! This river is a dam released river with its water source at Summersville Lake, the states largest man-made lake. Each fall the Army Corp. of Engineers releases the water at Summersville dam in order to bring the lake to its winter pool levels. The optimum whitewater release is near 2400 cubic feet per second. This release is scheduled in cooperation with whitewater outfitters to insure optimum flow for rafting on the Gauley River. With two distinct twelve-mile sections, this river boasts over 75 major rapids ranging from Class III - V! Trips are usually 6 to 8 hours on the water, depending on water levels.

Camping
Our basecamp offers a variety of camping options, including tent sites, tent platforms, RV sties (with water and electric hook-up) and rustic bunkhouse cabins. You will find a hot shower house, campstore, Outfitters Store and The Red Dog River Saloon.