White water rafting trips on the Upper Gauley River

Upper Gauley

Fall Upper Gauley River Trips

Simply put, the Upper Gauley is the stuff legends are made of! Known as the "Beast of the East", this is for the serious fun seeker. This heart-pounding river is physically demanding, mentally stimulating, and the ultimate in adrenaline-packed, world-class whitewater! There are several different trip options to choose from.

• Ranked in the world's top ten commercial whitewater runs.
• This 12-mile section offers 60+ rapids ranging from class III-V+, including the legendary "Big Six" class V+ rapids.
• Ideal for experienced paddlers and serious thrill seekers.
• Be ready to paddle to your guide's instructions.
• Strong swimming skills recommended.
• Hot Grilled riverside lunch included.
  

Trip Description	Min Age	Trip Length	Season	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon
Upper Gauley 16' Rafts	15	1 day	Sep-Oct	$164	$189	$164	$139

Note: We highly recommend that first time rafter try the Lower Gauley first so that they have a better understanding of what they are getting into.

Gauley Marathon

Fall Gauley Marathon

Run both the Upper and Lower sections in one day. If you’re up to the challenge, why not see both sections of the Gauley in one incredible day…no less than 23 miles and 70+ rapids! We can do this trip since our private Lower Gauley takeout at Sugar Creek eliminates the 1-1/2 hours (3 1/2 miles) of flatwater paddling that other outfitters have to endure at the end of the day.

You can camp out at Sugar Creek and do it all again the next day on a Gauley River Marathon Riverside Overnight.

Many folks feel that, when they’ve done the Upper Gauley River, they’ve done it all. Not true! Some of the biggest waves and deepest holes are on the Lower section. If you’re going to do America’s finest river, why not do all of it on a Gauley Rafting Marathon!

• Run the entire river, Upper and Lower, 23 miles and 100 rapids.
• Take out at our private Sugar Creek Access and save 1-1/2 hours (3 1/2 miles) of flat water.
• Ideal for experienced paddlers and serious thrill seekers.
• Be ready to paddle to your guide's instructions.
• Strong swimming skills recommended.
• Hot Grilled riverside lunch included.
  

Trip Description	Min Age	Trip Length	Season	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon
Gauley Marathon	15	1 day	Sep-Oct	$234	$259	$234	$229

Note: The Marathon Trip can be a phyiscally demanding trip. You can do both sections on a 2 Day Reverse Gauley Trip - pacing yourself and allowing you to enjoy both sections at a more leisurely pace. This will also give your muscles time to recover.

2 Day Reverse Gauley

Fall Lower/Upper 2 Day Reverse

Mother Nature may have put the Upper Gauley first, but we don’t have to run it that way! We call this the Gauley Reverse trip because you can run the Lower Gauley on Day 1 and save the mind-blowing Upper section for Day 2. We return to the NARR after the first day so you can enjoy all the amenities and first-class lodging options - even a hot tub if you like. If you haven’t seen the Lower Gauley or if this is your first time rafting, this is the perfect trip for you. The “Wild and Scenic” Lower on the first day and the "Wild and Crazy" Upper Gauley on the second.

• Day 1 on the "Wild and Scenic" Lower Gauley.
• Back to NARR that night.
• Day 2 on the "Wild and Crazy" Upper Gauley.
• All 23 miles, 70+ rapids, in 2 days.
• Be ready to paddle to your guide's instructions.
• Strong swimming skills recommended.
• Hot Grilled riverside lunch both days.
  

Trip Description	Min Age	Trip Length	Season	Fri/Sat	Sat/Sun	Sun/Mon
Upper/Lower 2-Day Reverse	15	2 days	Sep-Oct	$254	$279	$229

 

Double Upper

Fall Double Upper Gauley River Trips

The BEST one day raft trip in the country! Run the most exciting part of the Gauley TWICE IN ONE DAY! We put in at the dam and run the entire Upper Gauley to just below Sweets Falls. Then we enjoy a delicious Hot Grilled riverside lunch at our private lunch spot, and run the whole thing again! That adds up to over 100 major rapids in one incredible day. It's a long, tough day... no wimps, no whiners!

• Run the Upper twice in one day!.
• 80+ major rapids class III-V+ and the legendary "Big Six" class V+ twice in 1 Day!
• No wimps or whiners!
• Be ready to paddle to your guide's instructions.
• Strong swimming skills recommended.
• Hot Grilled riverside lunch included.
  

Trip Description	Min Age	Trip Length	Season	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon
Double Upper Gauley	15	1 day	Sep-Oct	$254	$279	$254	$229

Note: This is the most physically demanding trips we offer. Good physical conditioning and previous experience highly recommended.

Spring/Summer Gauley

Spring and Summer Gauley River Trips

The Gauley River runs most of the year. You don't have to wait until the Fall to experience this world-class river. Check out all of our Spring and Summer Trips we offer. It is never the same experience twice and is constantly ranked as a guests and guides favorite trip!

Secret: During the Fall Release weekdays (Tue/Wed/Thu) and in November... the Summersville Dam is usually still releasing water and you can run it at different levels depending on what they release. If your lucky, you can catch one of those magical levels that is like nothing you have ever experienced and it will blow you away!

Note: Kayakers from around the world come here for weeks just to be able to catch the Gauley at all these different water levels because it is like running a totally different river every day.

Raft Upgrade

Raft Upgrades

Go smaller. It's actually the biggest ride! Did you know that by upgrading to a smaller boat, you dramatically increase the intensity of your rafting experience? NARR offers several different raft sizes to customize your rafting experience. NARR uses the standard 16' raft unless you request a raft upgrade. There is a minimum number required for each raft.

Raft Upgrade	Min Age	Min # Required	Max # in raft	Additional Per Person Rate
14' Raft	15	6	7	$5
12' Raft	18	4	5	$40

Note: Smaller Rafts have a higher intensity level with more chances to swim. With a 12' Raft you are almost guaranteed to swim!

Grilled Lunches

Fall Release Grilled Lunches

Experience the NARR difference! During the Fall Releases NARR pulls out all the stops with their Hot Grilled riverside lunches and includes:

Burgers Veggie Burgers Tuna Steaks Chicken

Pasta Salad Potato Salad Hummus and Pita Bread Chips and Salsa Veggies and Dip

Pudding Cookies Fruit Drinks

Note: Some items on this menu can change slightly.

Gauley Release Dates

Fall Gauley Release Date:

September								October
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat		Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1			1	2	3	4	5	6
2	3	4	5	6	7	8		7	8	9	10	11	12	13
9	10	11	12	13	14	15		14	15	16	17	18	19	20
16	17	18	19	20	21	22		21	22	23	24	25	26	27
23	24	25	26	27	28	29		28	29	30	31
30

 Yellow Boxes = Fall Gauley Release Dates / Orange Box = Bridge Day

 

This is the Superbowl of white water rafting. Every year for 22 Days, the Army Corps of Engineers opens the Summersville Dam and releases water specifically for optimum white water flows, helping to reduce the lake water level for winter pool. These guaranteed dates make the Fall Gauley Release - allowing rafter to experice some of the best whitewater on the planet! September is typically warmer and busier, while October has better Fall colors and is less crowded. Gauley trips have become an annual event for many of the 60,000+ rafters that come every year.

 

Gauley River Map

Gauley River Map

Ranked in the Top-Ten commercially run rivers on the planet. Within the 25-mile stretch of the Gauley River National Recreation Area, the river is divided into two major sections, the Upper Gauley River and Lower Gauley River.

• In the spring and summer, the Gauley River opens up a new level of adventure opportunities in addition to the Upper, Middle and Lower sections.
• The Upper Gauley has the legendary runs known the world over - steep drops, massive holes and colossal waves.
• Roller coaster waves and challenging drops also characterize the Lower Gauley, though not as steep as the Upper, it has some of the biggest waves and holes on the river.
• Overall, the Gauley is technically demanding with more than 100 major rapids, and over half of them rated Class III and above.

*Map is not to scale.

This map represents the named rapids during Fall Release. There are more than 117 rapids and shoals on the Gauley River during the Fall Release. Spring and Summer water levels can vary significantly and the the rapids change dramatically - even the smaller Fall Release and no-name rapids can have multiple drops.

Click here for Rapid Descriptions

Download Gauley River Map

Gauley River Overnight Rafting Trip Checklist Be prepared for your Overnight Trip