The New River begins in North Carolina and measures 320 miles from the north fork. Flowing through North Carolina and Virginia, the new joins the Gauley River to form the Kanawha River (at Gauley Bridge, WV) that flows into the Ohio River (at Point Pleasant, WV) that flows into the Mississippi River (at Cairo, IL) that flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

 Adventure Class Whitewater Trips on the Lower New River

 Family Class Whitewater Trips on the Upper New River

LOWER NEW	UPPER NEW
Rapid Rating: Class II-IV+ Adventure Class Whitewater	Rapid Rating: Class I-III Family Class Whitewater

Within the 50-mile stretch of the New River Gorge National River, the river is divided into two distinct sections, the Upper and Lower New River. At the southern end of the park, the Upper New, the river is more placid than its lower counterpart. Intermediate canoeists encounter a few challenging Class III rapids and beginning boaters enjoy Class I to III rapids for a leisurely float with excellent fishing opportunities. North of Thurmond, the Lower New, the river’s famous whitewater (more than 25 Class II to Class IV+ rapids) begins in earnest. Rapids of varying heights and combinations range from Class I to V. Experienced and properly equipped boaters navigate these waters, and it is advisable to travel with a commercially licensed outfitter, like North American River Runners (NARR).

A trip down the river is a little more complex than it at first sounds. If you organize your own trip, you need to know the access roads and have vehicles drop you off at the put-in and pick you up at the take-out, pack your lunch and rig your boat to carry it, purchase the appropriate equipment (life jackets, helmets, paddles, safety rope, first aid kit, repair kit, communication devices), be familiar with the river and its rapids and then make sure that everything will be there when you need it. Or, you can let NARR take care of those details for you. Here are a couple of ways that you can enjoy the different river sections of the New River.

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