In the early 1900s a county road crossed the Gauley River at Woods Ferry and continued over the mountains to Anstead, WV. This right-of-way is still opem, and may be our only way in or out during Gauley Season. Since Lost Paddle Corporation has never permitted private rafters to take out on their land, this has been the only place for them to drive down to the river and launch and their boats. The road as it now exists has been maintained for some time by two small outfitters, Wildwater Unlimited and Passages to Adventure, and various private rafters. It’s not unusual for private individuals to maintain little-used, out-of-the-way county roads in West Virginia. The road is very narrow and steep, and deviates from the right-of-way to trespass on Lost Paddle Corporation property for forty yards. There is parking here for roughly 100 cars.
Bill Tanger, a Roanoke, Virginia based private rafter, has been using this road for years. When fliers announcing the possible closure of the Mason Branch access were found on his car, he got to work. This past spring he began investigating the possibility of reopening the old Woods Ferry Road. He and Passages to Adventure owner Benjy Simpson are working closely with the National Park Service and the West Virginia Highway Department to obtain the necessary permits. He organized work crews to reopen a long-abandoned stretch of the Woods Ferry Road so that it can be used without trespassing on Lost Paddle Corporation land. Because the road also crosses land owned by the National Park Service, all work must be done with hand tools to minimize environmental damage. When the work is completed, outfitter Benjy Simpson will operate a boat shuttle in and out of the gorge. As was true at Masons Branch, paddlers will have to walk in or out of the canyon themselves. A donation will offset the costs, with any surplus used to maintain the road.
Bill and members of the West Virginia Wildwater Association have formed a group called Friends of the Gauley River (FOGR) to finish their work. They need your help. Work weekends are scheduled on August 20-21 and 27-28 . We will also begin to raise funds for gravel and other necessities as soon as a mechanism can be arranged. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Bill Tanger. His email address: tanger@mediavisionva.com. Home tel. 540-366-2228.