Every fall, southern West Virginia becomes home to one of the top stretches of whitewater in the country. What paddlers and rafters affectionately call Gauley Season marks the exciting time of year when scheduled releases from Summersville Dam dump into the Gauley River, boosting the river’s class II-V rapids to be bigger and faster.
“West Virginia’s whitewater rafting is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before,” stated Gov. Jim Justice, who announced the official start to the season with the first scheduled dam release last weekend. “We’ve even received accolades from big-name publications about how amazing whitewater rafting is here. With Gauley Season starting today, I want to personally invite folks to come experience the short-lived season for themselves. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime West Virginia adventure you just can’t miss out on.”
Justice also announced that the usually six-week event will have an extra release this year, stretching the season to seven weeks. According to the Office of the Governor, the US Army Corps of Engineers will release 44 million gallons of water into the Gauley River at the rate of 2,899 cubic feet per second—a volume that could fill an Olympic-size pool every 10 seconds. The season runs from September 6 to the weekend of October 19.
Consisting of Upper and Lower sections, the Gauley River makes up a 25-mile run of world-class whitewater. The Upper Gauley is known for being the more intense of the two, showcasing its iconic five class-V rapids coined the “Big 5 Rapids.” The Lower Gauley, while still a serious run, is more approachable.
The releases also coincide with Gauley Fest, the largest paddling festival in the world, which this year takes place from September 19 – 22. The event is predicted to draw over 40,000 attendees.
All photos courtesy of West Virginia Tourism
