Paddleboats, Whitewater Rafting and Scuba Diving -- in the Mountains? Yep -- Inside Appalachia

[JonathanDough]

2. Fun area

Wife & I honeymooned on a trip that included driving all the BRP and a two-day upper/lower Gauley adventure. Morning of day two we had to knock ice off of our wetsuits we'd stored outside of our tent. It gets cold in the W. Virginia mountains in October. With the exception of an eight day trip on the Colorado River, the Gauley is the biggest water we've run. Rafters & kayakers come from all over the world to run the Gauley during the fall drawdown of Summerville Lake to winter pool.

In Oct. there is also Bridge Day. The public can walk on the New River Gorge bridge, one lane of which is closed for the event, and watch the spectacle of bungee jumpers and parachutist jumping off the bridge. The road deck is 900+ ft. above river level. The deck is constantly moving & shaking as vehicle traffic flows on the other, open lane. Looking down at the New River, one sees tiny whitish areas that look calm & peaceful. They're neither; they're big rapids that must be negotiated immediately prior to beaching the raft after running the New River.