New

The Federal Highway Administration has worked to improve the Cunard Road (Route 9) in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve The project is a coordinated effort between the National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration and involves a long series of road and drainage repairs. The old road has been removed and the roadbed and walls are being reinforced with improved drainage and wall stabilization. The new road will have a stronger and more stable surface better capable of withstanding inclement weather and heavy use.

Despite all this work, the road is steep, made of gravel, and at one point a one-way. It can get very exciting on a busy summer weekend when everyone is fighting to get down or up, especially with the outfitter buses. Once at the bottom of the hill make a right. The outfitter parking is straight ahead and the public parking is around to the left. There is not a lot of parking but you can park along side the road that leads to the fishing parking lot. Do not block the road!

After the brief pool from the Cunard put-in, this is the first small rapid. Run straight down the middle for a perfect wave train. The waves are generally equal sized and spaced, allowing for a long set of wavewheels. Above 5' there is a hole that forms on the left side that is not suitable for surfing.

FYI: The old stone bridge on the right that you see across the river as you enter this rapid is where Manns Creek dumps into the New.

After Pinball, the flow takes you toward river-right. In the pool here you are above a very large hole known as 'the Cunard Stripper'. At 2' it is not very surffable. You have two choices: (1) run to right of the large rock sticking out of the river with alot of left hand angle, which will take you very close to the meat, or (2) run to the left of the rock and miss the hole. As you get nearer to the train trestle, head to the left to set up for a nice wave train. You are now in the large pool above Lower Railroad.

From pool at the top you cannot see the features of this drop, so you may wish to get out to scout (either left or right). Start you run left of center and drive to the right to miss a hole on the left. At flows from 4.5 to 5.5 feet, start on the right hand bank to miss the top pourover and catch the large hole near the bottom. This is the best hole on the river with great eddy service. One can spend all day here surfing. Must not be missed!

There have been a couple of fatalities in the rapid. At -2 feet there is a very undercut rock 50 feet off the left bank.

FYI: The pool above the rapid is the deepest on the river. Folklore says there is a train deep in the water from an early 1900's accident.

After a short pool you will see this small rapid. During the summer it will be marked by all of the rafters stopping to swim it (hence the name). The best thing about this one is the Toilet Bowl. Start on the left side. As you float down you will see a curler/tube. You can tuck up and it will flush you down, or it is a good place to launch a kick flip. There is a small wave-train runout.

This next rapid is marked by a rock jumble off the right bank. As with most rapids on this river, there are a couple of ways to run this drop. For the sneak route, stay in the middle of the main flow but keep an eye out for Strippers Hole -- it is deep and unkind! Stay in the flow and you should just pass it on the left. For the creek route, head to the river-right bank, boof between the two boulders at the top, turn and ferry behind the large pourover, then peel-out above Strippers Hole and get in the main flow.

From the pool below Strippers, work your way to left of center for a playhole at the top of the next rapid. You may need to hang out here and wait for a break in the line of rafts. At 2 feet, once again you have two choices. The first is to float down and catch the wave on the fly. The second is to run Pig Farmers Falls. On the top left there will be two large boulders with water dropping between them. Paddle from right to left. Take a right boof stroke to launch over the hole below. The hole is backed up by a rock, so you really need to hit the boof and land in the eddy. After surfing, there is a HUGE eddy on the left. In the summer there will be a line of 20 or more paddlers waiting to surf. When you get tired of waiting, get in the main flow and catch the wave train down to the pool above Upper Keeney.

At flows above 4 feet, Pig Farmers becomes a large hole -- stay away!

FYI: While you are surfing the wave, you can NOT see up stream at the many rafts that WILL take your head off.

You'll know you are here when pass under the powerlines and see a large rock on the left that looks like a whale, aptly named Whale Rock. Some feel this rapid is best if you run Upper and Middle Keeney as one rapid. Get with the main flow going around the right side of Whale Rock and brace down through the waves. After passing Whale Rock turn upstream and get left of center to be set up for Middle Keeney. At flows of 5 feet and above, the eddy line behind Whale Rock is nasty so it is best to swing wide of the eddy line -- a swim here will be long! At levels above 9 feet, Whale Rock becomes Whale Hole and there will be no choice but to run all three of the Keeneys together as one long rapid! Keeneys Creek enters on the right.

Once you are set up after running Upper Keeney, head down left of center. After the second rolling wave you will drop into a LARGE breaking wave/hole. Your fate is likely to depend on where it is in its cycle. If it's a wave you should go through with no problem. If it's a hole, there is a 50/50 chance that it will flip you. If you do flip, just time your roll with the wave train below. If you make it upright, paddle through the maddness and eddy out in the large eddy on the right. More skilled and daring paddlers like to catch this wave hole and surf it, but beware, just like Ender, you cannot see upstream. The good news is most rafts take the center line so they are not a factor.

FYI: Many beginners walk this rapid only to run Lower Keeney. This rapid is not very hard but the out flow leads directly into the Meat Grinder in Lower Keeney. There was a fatality here in 2004. Swimmers need to swim hard to the eddy on the left. This eddy is huge and provides a nice place to rest and watch some carnage coming down the river. Great photo op!

This rapid can be a bit difficult to scout, but it can be done. The best line is to stay in the flow that is going down the left hand side. Stay in the middle of that flow and float along with right-hand boat angle. As soon as you can see down the rapid you will see a large curler wave that breaks to the left. You do NOT want this wave to take you that direction, as it takes you to a large rock called Washup Rock and a seive called The Juicer -- a bad place to be! Paddle hard to the right and punch the breaking wave, then ride the rollercoaster to the bottom. Catch the large eddy on the right to set up for surfing at Lollygag!

Halls of Karma is great mystery move spot for squirt boaters located at the bottom of Lower Keeney Rapid on river left. It comes in at lower flows around 2300 cfs with prime levels around 1800 cfs and can still be enjoyed a bit below that.

Just after the wave train after Lower Keeney there will be 2 holes, one on each side of the river. The river left hole is not good surfing. The river right hole can produce dynamic, but enjoyable surfs! If you don't want to surf, follow the large tongue between the holes.

This rapid is marked by a large rock that looks like an upside down canoe from up stream. The rock is undercut but easy to avoid. Start right of center and work left to set up for the 'Dip', then stay to the right to clear it.

After Dudleys you will be in a huge slow-moving pool. Looking downstream, the right hand bank has a rock that looks like a pyramid. This tells you Double Z lies next downstream. This is the most technical rapid on the New, and one you must run, as there is no easy portage.

After floating (or practicing flat water tricks) through the pool you will see a rock that looks like a thumb sticking out of the water about 50 ft from the right bank. This is called 'Thumb Rock'.

Start your run just to the left of this rock. Go around the rock and head to the right bank to avoid a pourover. Once at the bank, ferry behind the hole to the middle of the river. Turn downstream and paddle HARD with right-hand boat angle to punch a large and powerful curling wave/hole. If you punch this you are home free. Paddle down through the confused water, making sure to stay away from the downsteam rocks; They are undercut, and you WILL go underneath them, boat and all. (Don't ask how I know!) This is the 'Double Z' move.

If you did not punch the hole you have to roll quickly because you are headed for Table Rock which forms Chair Hole. Roll and head to the right bank.

FYI: Another name for this rapid is 'Sunset'. During the summer and fall months at sunset, the sun is perfectly framed in the mountains and river downstream. I recommend being here then to see it -- it is breath taking!

Observant paddlers looking back upstream will notice a plaque on the downstream face of a large midstream boulder honoring Richard Harmon, one of the early characters of West Virginia boating. The rapid was originally known as Harmon’s 99, though many now call it Hook 99. The name traces back to Richard’s C-1, marked with a large painted “99,” likely from a race. On one memorable run, Richard’s boat pinned against this very rock. He escaped safely, but the C-1 was lost. Over the following week, the fiberglass boat was recovered in three or four large pieces downstream. With some resin and fiberglass work, Richard patched it back together, and soon “99” was running the New again. Try that with a plastic boat.

Get your first view (from the river) of New River Gorge Bridge, then be ready for Undercut Rock. The undercut is near top of rapid on the right bank.

Paddlers can avoid this rapid by taking out just upstream on the left. However you will miss the fun of running down the middle through large waves and holes.

River left ramp below Fayette Station rapid.