Overview
Available languages
6 hours
Mobile ticket
This Lower Gauley trip only runs for 6 weeks each Fall, making it a highly sought after experience! You can look forward to all the usual whitewater fun, plus:
- An expert guide in your raft
- Catered lunch
- A full 16 miles of scenic whitewater rafting
- Historical landmarks and stories and artifacts throughout
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Recommended for ages 11 and up
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Advise guide of any relevant medical conditions prior to trip start. Consult your physician about medical concerns prior to rafting.
What To Expect
A special trip down the Lower Gauley, which only runs a few weeks each year. Our highly experienced guides will navigate you through Class III/IV rapids that most people never see. Beautiful history-laden terrain. Includes catered lunch break on the river. At the river, you will get into your group's raft with your Guide, and after a few practice strokes and getting comfortable in the raft, you will get the rush of your first rapid! This trip is filled with history, from the Native Americans, Civil War battles, and the creation of Summersville Dam (including the flooding of the Village of Gad). About halfway through the day we will stop along the banks for a delicious buffet lunch, with build your own sandwiches, fresh fruit, snacks and dessert. (If you have special dietary needs, please let us know at the time you make your reservation so we can accommodate them.) Refueled, you will complete the second half of your river adventure, ending in the quiet rolling countryside, before boarding the bus that takes you back to BaseCamp.
Options
11:00am Day Trip with Lunch
Duration: 6 hours Riverside lunch
What‘s Included
Personal flotation device (life vest), helmet, paddle.
Buffet lunch typically including build-your-own sandwiches, fresh fruits and veggies, chips, beans, potato salad, coleslaw, hummus, desserts, beverages.
Professional guide in your raft
Local taxes
Wetsuits, paddle jackets, water shoes also available to rent.
DVD/video/photos (available to purchase)
Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
39 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Awesome day
Compass32601569313,Oct 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Well done! It was wonderful, exciting, thrilling and safe. Perfect experience. Thanks loads! It was gorgeous. I’ve wanted to raft the lower gauley for 30years…I’m so happy to have experienced it
Riding the waves
Journey20487541971,Sep 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was very organized and a great time! Wally and Oscar were fantastic guides. All eight of us in the raft were completely happy with the trip.
Very worth it
joshrD6797JO,Sep 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Kristen I believe it was, was great and friendly and made us all feel comfortable and welcome! Glad we had her for our guide!
AWESOME river adventure!
kimkE496OH,Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We are in the area as volunteers with Wildernessvolunteers.org working with the national park team fixing parts of their trail system. We only had 1 day to check out the area so I called West Virginia Adventures and asked about an early morning trip for the next day. They planned a wonderful adventure for us! Our guide, Christan, was AMAZING and so much fun! She clearly explained everything we had to do in the boat and how to save ourselves if we were "violently ejected" at anyntime during the trip. And to top it off, she had jokes!! As a group of 55+ adults who wanted a day of excitement, the west virginia adventures crew did NOT disappoint! We HIGHLY recommended this team of river runners for your next trip into the rapids!
980maddiet,Jul 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00So amazing! Our guide, Crock was a riot. So much better going with a smaller business rather than a large corporation; much more personal and all of the guides had a ton of experience. Definitely go with them over Ace or what have you. They took great photos and a cool video that were readily available to us that same night. Also great safety precautions in place.
We'll come back for more fun!
Curiosity34480412553,Jul 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My family and I had an awesome time whitewater rafting! The guides were great and we had a lot of fun. Definitely we have to come back. Highly recommended 👍
A great family experience
G937PXjamess,Jul 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The whole family had a great experience! The guides were very knowledgeable and helped to keep us safe and the views were breathtaking. I would highly recommend this company for white water rafting!
Great Rapids, Great Guides!
408leandrol,May 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We went with friends and it was so fun! Rob was thorough, a skilled guide, and looked out for us as it was most of our first times. The only note for improvement could be the facilities but they had just moved into their new building so that is understandable. +1 for the dad jokes and beer on the bus ride back
best company to use for your white water rafting trip
Q3157HCshaneh,Sep 30, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00absolute a great time, our guide Isiah was awesome, he made the experience great. I did a lot research on which company to use and they are a smaller company and it showed by they way the treated us and made sure we had the best experience. we did the lower Gauley, next year will be coming back to do the upper Gauley hopefully having Isiah as our guide again
Support a small business doing a great job
B9069HEkellym,Sep 16, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Well run rapids tour with a really fun number of rapids. A smaller business than some of the others but they were well equipped and the guides knowledgeable and entertaining
Related Experiences
Operated by West Virginia Adventures