Laurel Fork,

Route 642 to VA/WVA State line

Usual Difficulty	II-III+ (may vary with level)
Length	9.5 Miles
Avg. Gradient	80 fpm
Max Gradient	80 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
SOUTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER AT FRANKLIN, WV
usgs-01605500	3.75 - 6.50 ft	II-III+	13h41m	2.92 ft (rc= -0.3 )

River Description

Summary:

This is a wilderness headwaters run in the Potomac River watershed that offers the chance to paddle through a near-pristine setting. Though the whitewater is continuous, there are no rapids that exceed Class III at a medium level. The primary risks are strainers - we portaged 12 times in October, 2003 - and low hanging rhodedendron along the banks and in some of the braided channels. Familiarity with small creek running will definitely make for a more enjoyable day, as this run borders on an advanced ranking despite the relative ease of the whitwater.

Access:

Having trouble finding the creek? Well, it's the Laurel Fork of the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River. Just keep looking upstream on the map. Located primarily in Highland County, Virginia, this creek confluences to form the North Fork in Pendleton County, West Virginia at the community of Hardscrabble. The takeout is at a bridge over the creek at CR 19. The northwest side of the bridge seems to be the best place to park. The putin is 40 minutes away in Virginia above the Laurel Fork Special Management Area. Putin just off CR 642 about 1/4 mile south of a bridge crossing the Laurel Fork at an unposted roadside campsite. For the shuttle route consult your West Virginia and Virginia Gazatteers.

The Run:

After you putin you will immediately be in fast Class II water, which is standard gear for the creek. It's fun floating, however, with lots of small slides and chutes. The morphology is open, like most of the streams in this area of the watershed. In the first few miles, the creek picks up to mild Class III only occasionally. There are a few braided channels. Generally, you will want to find the biggest channel and get into it, even if that means climbing over a tree. The rhodedendron along the creek are absolutely huge. Though beautiful, they can make a portage a hands-and-knees crawl under the bushes. Occasionally, the skill to grab said rhodedendron comes in handy when you can't find an eddy.

About halfway through the run you will encounter the first solid Class III rapid near where Christian Run spills in on river right. This ledge drop with a hard right turn marks the beginning of a mile or so of good fun Class III river running. The last drop is a III+ with a mean hole that requires some boof-skills. After this section, it's back to Class II with the occasionally III. Near the end of the run, we encountered a sketchy channelized section. Pay careful attention here, as we scrambled to stop above one set of strainers in very fast water.