Laurel Run (Big Sandy Creek trib.)

After many years of looking at this on my infrequent forays onto the upper Big Sandy, I finally found a day when the creek was running and my skills/motivation were inversely proportional to the water levels, prompting me to look for something laid-back to do, in the way of exploring new terrain. I put in at the bridge on the frontage road that runs alongside I-68, after securing permission from the caretaker, and proceeded downstream. The level was 6.1 at Rockville on the lower Big Sandy. I found one log portage. Next, I think I portaged a gravel bar, due to low water. Then there was a mile or maybe two where the river was enjoyable Class 1-2, until a quarter mile before the end, where a few nice surfing waves form before the final 4-foot waterfall into the upper Big Sandy. The Upper Big Sandy felt quite pushy after Laurel Run! There was a substantial logging scar on river right starting at a small bridge and continuing nearly to the Big Sandy, which unfortunately ruined much of the formerly-very beautiful forest of possibly old-growth, very large trees, where I had camped in earlier years. Still, it's a nice run for beginners when everything else will be too high, as long as they can handle the lower part of the Upper Big Sandy. Alternatively, if you have sufficient energy, you might want to take out from the upper Big Sandy and carry your boat a few hundred feet upstream to surf and play a little bit and to run the final waterfall, if you just have tons of energy to burn.

You can carry up and run this fun little ledge on river right as you are about 3/4 of the way through the Upper Big Sandy/Little Sandy run.

Have fun !