Greenbrier River
09. Talcott to Willowood Bridge (WV 3&12)
| Difficulty | I-II(III) |
| Length | 11 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 10 fpm |
| Gauge | Greenbrier River at Hilldale, Wv |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 1.83 ftlow runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 1, 2025 |
River Description
From a comment, 2009:
There are two decent rapids on the upper stretch of the river. One is a class III (maybe) called Bacon Falls, which I have found to be best when the river is around 4 1/2. The other is a slide with a pretty decent hole at the bottom.
You can also shorten the trip by using the public access at Barger Springs but keep in mind the rapids worth running are on the upper half so if I was going to shorten I would run from Talcott to Barger Springs because there really isn't much after that.
River Features
Put In
The Talcott put-in is on river right just upstream of the Barger Springs bridge near the intersection of Hwy. 12 and Barger Springs Rd. Ramp and parking but no toilet.
Bacon Falls
Bacon Falls is the first rapid below Talcott, where the flow channels on the right against a cliff face. At higher flows it can be skirted on the left. At moderate to low flows it has two parts. The first part is a small ledge angled to the right, which can be run in various places. Or you can simply begin on the far right near the bank, avoiding the ledges. There is a wave train along the cliff, usually with an eddy on the left and decent surfing waves. For the second part of the rapid, angle left to avoid rocks on the right.
Lindsey Slide
Lindsey Slide is a riverwide slanted ledge that can have strong holes in places. Far right and far left may have weaker holes. Shallower on river left with a bit more of a green tongue. River left is a popular gathering spot for locals and can be reached on Doc Fox Rd. Photo taken at 2.8 on the Hilldale gauge.
Takeout #1
The Barger Springs takeout on river left will probably be used by most people, since the remainder of this segment is mostly flat. Good ramp and parking, but no bathroom facilities.
On county road 29 (4-H Camp Rd.) look for Angler Lane which leads to the takeout. Good signage in both directions ('fishing access').
Take Out #2
Willowood Bridge access is river right in the right-of-way, though it is a bit overgrown. Probably better to get permission from the campground next to it, or use one of the pull-overs on Hwy. 12.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportriver is flat above bacon falls, play potential just above barger springs (lindsey slide)
A close up side view of the holes at Bacon Falls at a little above 4 ft.
There are two parts to Bacon Falls. You have an initial 3ft. drop up river, then you have the haystacks pictured here. This is at over 4 ft. I would not recommend running it at this level in an open boat canoe with 7 days of gear, as one of us found out the hard way. Submarine style.
This is a riverwide slanted ledge and the holes can be quite strong depending on the level. If you are with novices, choose your spot carefully. Shallower on river left.
Bacon Falls is the first rapid below Talcott (about 2 mi. below) where the river funnels to the right along a cliff. With good flow you can run along the left side for a Class II.
Tig, I went to Lindsey Falls yesterday. 9.4 on the Alderson gauge. Fun surfing on a really nice green wave and a nice foamie just below it...all with eddy service :)
A good beginner surf 4ft to 8ft+. have not seen the falls over 8ft. seems to get better with bigger flows. around 6-7 ft no longer eddy service. YTC