Tygart Valley
4. Belington to Buckhannon River(Gorge)
| Difficulty | III-V |
| Length | 12.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 37 fpm |
| Gauge | Tygart Valley River at Belington, Wv |
| Flow Rate as of 35 minutes | 3.24 ftbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 20, 2016 |
River Description
Photo: John Fralick squeezes between the rocks at KeyHole.
Put-in on river right downstream of Belington or in Belington on river left.
Alternate put-in 3.2 mi downstream at fish camp on river right.
Two take-outs available:
River right 1 mi downstream of confluence with Buckhannon River or
At the mouth of the Buchannon River, walk 3/4 mi up RR tracks to covered bridge over the Buckhannon.
Noteable rapids in first half of the run are Key Hole and Hartung Falls, about half way down you encounter the confluence with the Middle Fork River. Those that run the Middle Fork run the lower part of the Tygart Gorge which contain three major rapids. S-Turn, Shoulder Snapper and Hook(left hook).
An outfitter is now running shuttles on weekends. He will pick you up below Hook on the Tygart and bring your group back to Audra. He charges by the shuttle not by individual. Contact - Tygart River Outfitters
Photo: Colins Drozdowski at Instant Ender.
River Features
Put In
Keyhole
Hard Tongue
Middle Fork Confluence
S-Turn
Shoulder Snapper
Hook
Take Out
Buckhannon Confluence
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportIf the boulder splitting the current at Shoulder Snapper is well covered, go for the boof. It is one of the coolest launches you will find.
Hook Rapid is probably the most dangerous rapid--a 90-degree left turn. The end of the rapid has a ledge that is backed by a rock on the right, and people have swum underneath undercuts on the left. Stay about 1/4 over from the left side as you make the left turn. Maintain momentum.
There is a large log in the main entrance to Keyhole rapid. 11/5/05
Monday morning we were up and driving back to the state park. It was looking a little low at the put-in, but the run turned out to be just perfect. The rapids were similar to those on the Big Sandy. The run starts out with a very creek-like feel for the first 3 miles and there were some great boulder gardens with fun little chutes and some nice surf waves. I took lead for most of the day and everyone paddled strong. The run changes dramatically in character as you're dumped out on to the Tygart. It takes on a bigwater feel comparable to the Clearwater up in Canada although the class IV sections are separated by decent stretches of easier water and there are good places to scout. We pounded and weaved our way through mazes of holes and waves. Everyone had a great time. The only downside is the run finishes with a walk out of 3/4 mile on the railroad tracks. We finished up with dinner together and then began the drive home. I finally settled down in my bed at 2 am.
Low water Keyhole