LOCATION DETAIL
37.999110, -81.022397
NEAREST ADDRESS:
1534 Cunard River Access
Fayetteville, WV 25840
PARKING FEE:
No
RESTROOM AVAILABLE:
Unknown
WEB PAGE:
Click Here
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
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Google Mapping
LOCATION NOTES:
General Information:
Whitewater: the New River is among the oldest rivers on the continent. It offers some great play and challenging rapids. It is a good Class III–IV (V) run that can be viewed as a stepping stone for intermediates or as a fun play river for advanced paddlers. There is a fun play hole that serves up some great surfing and verticality to those that are patient. The optimal level is 2 feet on the Fayette Station gauge. Runnable from -2.0 to 12.00 but beware of undercut rocks at -2.0 ft. Natural flow occurs year round.The New River is a great class IV run with surfing and challenging moves. However there are many undercut rocks and one notable clam shell rock that need to be avoided.
Difficulty & Must Haves:
Class III-IV Section Length: 6.5 miles Time: 4-6 hours, depending on level, stops and play time. Do not paddle this river without appropriate training and leadership. Required Equipment: Boat suitable for whitewater with air bags, paddle, skirt, helmet, PFD, whistle, water, dry bag for river snacks, and first aid kit. Required Skills: Paddlers must have good boat control and a reliable roll, be able to catch and exit eddies in moving water, ferry and wet-exit safely. You should have the appropriate safety/rescue gear, including rope, knife, unpinning kit, etc. Above 10 ft there are no real eddies and the river is very wide, which can spell disaster for swimmers. If you do not have big water paddling skills then stay off above 6 feet. The high max level is set at 12ft because that is the Park Service cutoff for commercial rafting trip.
Nice to Have & Human Interest:
The New river gorge bridge is the longest steel span in the western hemisphere and the third highest in the United States. New River Gorge Park (which surrounds parts of the river) is a well-known climbing spot.
Additional Notes & Shuttle Info:
38°03’56.0″N 81°04’45.0″W https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?authuser=0&authuser=0&hl=en&hl=en&mid=z0We5CLCBWqo.kTSdGQ8VlKbw. Shuttle distance from Fayette Stations is 13.3 miles (approximately 34 mins) to Cunard and the distance from Cunard to Fayette is 14.1 miles (approximately 35 mins). So if you can run a reverse shuttle that you will save time. Also if you just want to get a taste of the New River, you can run the Fayette Station rapid as many times as you can in one day. On the way out you can stop by the local outfitter, ACE adventure gear and check out or demo kayaks.
FUTURE HERE: