New and Gauley River Adventures

This was one of the best experiences. from booking all the way to the actual rafting trip. The owners were extremely accommodating. It’s obvious why they are the last non-​corporate rafting company in the area. We had a blast! The guides were not only knowledgeable but fun and easy going. We are planning on going back next year to raft the Upper Gauley river :)

This company was the best! Very local– I think the only who that hasn’t been bought out by the big companies yet. Scott our guide was immensely experienced. He ensured our safety and was also really fun and nice and told us a lot about the local history and culture. Maybe he pointed out all the places along the river where the most people have died a little too much.
Rafting on the New River in September was perfect for a first timer like me. The water wasn’t crazy nor too cold. The Gauley season started the week after we were there, and that’s when all the bid timers go there for wild rides on that river, so I’d try to avoid that time if you are new to rafting. We went on a Sunday because it’s slightly cheaper.

I rafted the Upper & Lower Gauley River as well as the New River with these folks and have had an incredible experience both times! The first time I brought a group of 17 of us, a dozen the second, and their online reservation system makes it super easy to organize everyone. This is the last mom and pop shop still rafting these rivers and it shows in their laid-​back and non-​corporate attitude, personal service, and willingness to be more adventurous down the rapids. At the same time, three of our guides down the Gauley River had a combined 75 years of experience so these guys really know what they are doing and keep you safe while having fun! It’s great that we could all camp together right behind the offices where you meet at the beginning of each trip, and having the Burrito Bar super close by was awesome if you don’t want to cook (great beer selection too!). I’d highly recommend Scott Skaggs as your guide (except when I’m on the river ’cause I want him in my boat)! The Gauley trip is going to be an annual tradition from here on out, and I’ll request Scott every time.

My 16 year old and I did a full day rafting trip on the Lower New, and it was excellent. There were 10 of us in all, four friends in one raft, 6 in ours. Our guides were Kim-​a lawyer who went out to the New with her brother, and then went back and quit her job to certify as a river guide, and Brian-​a man with 3 science degrees who has been with this company for 17 (19?) years, and they were skillful, explained everything, careful without removing the thrill, and good company. The day started poorly-​freezing cold and very foggy, but turned into a perfect day shortly. I wasn’t expecting how exciting it would be, since it was late August and the river was low, yet the New and the guides brought it. Even my 16 year old, normally too cool for school, had a great time. It’s probable the other companies that run rafting trips on the New and the Gauley are good as well, I really like supporting small locally owned Mom and Pop businesses, and this is one of them. I can’t recommend this enough.

I really enjoyed rafting here! This no nonsense rafting company equips you and prepares you for everything that you need for a great rafting trip. The gentleman who provided us with instructions did a good job of covering all of the safety precautions but did so with a sense of humor that kept the mood of the morning light. He mentioned that if you uncover your T-​grip it could result in lost teeth all over the river etc. He also was talking about measures to avoid entrapment and emphasized that no one has ever drowned from butt entrapment. The ride on the river was awesome. We had a great guide named Nick who offered clear instructions to keep us safe while we navigated some pretty gnarly rapids. I would for sure come back here although it was far far far away from where I live.

The 4^th year I’ve made the 5hr 30min trip to New & Gauley River Adventures. After doing my research and reading reviews on different sites I chose N&GRA for their family owned atmosphere and their guides that will give you the ride you are looking for. We prefer the «high adventure» ride.
We’ve had a different guide every year. It’s awesome coming back to these guides and after 100’s of trips and guest for them they still remember us. Burrito Bar is a must. Best sunset in the area with amazing food and a great selection of craft beers. The newly remodeled convenience store is great for everything you forgot… and more beer.
One thing I’d like to see brought back is the video boat. Its a lot easier to get friends to come the following year with an awesome video of our trip. Helps persuade them to live their life with a little adventure.

Camped 2 nights here and did an all day white water rafting trip on The New River. The camp sites and shower facilities were less to be desired of, but the rafting tour guides were all highly experienced, nice and funny. Had a great time rafting with this outfit. Best of all is they are family-​owned and operated, unlike their commercial competitors. Every cent goes towards their guides & their own WV facilities versus out of state. Something we took into account when booking. I give their rafting tour guides and excursions a 5 start rating and their camp sites and facilities just 2 stars.

Horse backing riding was superb. Our guides, Zach and Emma were super chill and friendly. We went on a lovely day and we were rewarded by insanely stunning views of WV and the enormous plot of land we ‘rode’ on.
White water rafting was fantastic. Severe flooding required we change plans and head farther north towards safer water. We still had fun and our guide, Brenton was cool. He was very accommodating and worked well with us (my girlfriend and I and a family of four). He was incredibly patient with the younger boys who were goofing off a bunch on our raft. We stopped and had lunch. It was rustic, but hit the spot. PB&J and some cold cuts were really tasty! We saw a bunch of commercial companies on the river, but this small, family run establishment is where it is at.
On a side note — we camped here for one night. AVOID. We arrived on a Sunday and no one was around to check us in. We had to figure it out all out on our own — which wasn’t hard, but not what you want to do after driving 7 hours. The bathroom/​shower facilities worked and were fine.
White water rafting (sweet)
horseback riding (good)
camping (eh)

What an awesome way to spend the 4^th of July on the New River! It has been 20+ years since I have been rafting so we took the whole family. Everyone had a fantastic time. Nate was our guide and I couldn’t have asked for more. He was very experienced and knowledgable about the river, safety, and the area. This is a small business that offers a personal touch you won’t find with the large adventure companies. The whole family is already planning when we can go again and tackle the Upper Gauley.
Thanks Nate!

If I could give it more stars I would. This year was our 4^th summer rafting the new river with this company. The first year we went the camping area wasn’t as built and cleared out as it is now so there is more room and options to choose. The guides are excellent and very informative and if you want to get some of that west Va humor you’ll get that too. I haven’t used any of the other rafting companies but this one is the only one that is not incorporated and is family run so they make sure to give you a good experience. So all in all if you are looking for an awesome trip down new river or the gauley with excellent guides then I would recommend this company.

A group of buddies and I went on the Lower Gauley river trip there was 12 of us total. We had a great time. The staff was amazing. They were very nice and approachable with any questions. The Team Leader Nick did a fantastic job. They explained and outline the of the trip well before leaving. You can tell they really care about the safety and satisfaction of the people they are taking on these trips. The compound they have is cool too. It has a bar and great room which is nice to relax in after a river journey. The office staff was very helpful too. We called ahead a few times any they kindly answered any questions we had. The lunch stop food was ok but we got cold beer on the ride back. Over all it was a great trip and I plan on coming back to do the Upper Gauley. This is also one of the only «mom and pop» outfitters left to so its cool knowing my money is not going to some big corporation.

Loved it! Staff was friendly and helpful and our guide, Buddy, was extremely competent and cool! I highly recommend this outfit!

I went down the Upper Gauley twice this past weekend. Friday the 5^th and Saturday the 6^th of September. This was my second trip with NRA and I will definately be coming back. My boyfriend has been coming for four years now and were both adrenaline junkies, if your looking for an adventure then this is the company to do it with! We always go with the ‘Name your price’ option and its worked well for us.
What I really enjoy is the customer service that this group delivers and its sincere. Its an easy check in process and the only hard time you’ll have is leaving to go home.
We started our early morning with a briefing and a gear safety talk then headed up on the bus. The first Friday of the season was great because you get to see the water shooting out of the dam and not many other companies were there. I heard the the weekends fill up quick!
Last year being my first I did the ’ Reverse Upper’…where you do the lower gauley then the upper. After doing the Upper, the Lower held no excitement for me so we choose to do the Upper twice. If you can fit it in, try to do more than once one day! Its totally worth it, especially if your driving a long way.
Rick O’shea was our guide and he is about as down to earth as they come. Super friendly and seems to know everyone on the river or they know him:)
Everyone has their favorite guides’ and ours is Rick. Its never a boring trip with him. If you’re not much of a talker no worries, you’ll prolly be laughing by the end of the trip!
All of the guides were cool and friendly and are pretty much supermen of the river down here… you’ll understand when you see some of the $#!+ that goes down on the river. If theres a raft thats overturned its alllll business and everyone has each others backs! I went in at Sweets Falls and I seriously don’t know how they do it week after week! Definately a workout! When you get back in the raft and find your paddle again, catch your breath, realize everything’s all good; you’re off to the next rapid and it makes you realize how awesome all these guys AND ladies are that guide!
When we got back to the drop off and onto the bus I was basically ready to pass out, but it wasnt relief it was over– it was more like.“lets get some good sleep so we can do this again tommorrow!” This river gets your adrenaline going, and this company does a great job at making sure you have a fun yet safe time!
If you’re in for an adventure, fun, adrenaline rush and down right good time please check our this company! Its a blast!
The second day we got to redeem ourselves at Sweets;) and everything went off without a hitch! Dont ever think that you Wont get wet! So know how to swim:) And if and when you do fall in remember what your guide tells you because 110% of the time theyre right! Wet suits are a must in the early season! Worthitworthitworthit!
Ask about «surfing»! Other companies didnt do it and its soooo fun!
Oh and stay for the video they make at
the end when everyone gets back because it usually is an awesome shoot even if you had your GoPro. If your worried about where to put your GoPro they have helmets that have mounting brackets. Just remember to bring a tether.
Bring Cash so you can Tip your guides! And bring your friends!
See ya next year!

We (my dad and I) found this little family-​owned gem on google. We chose this place to go rafting because of the proximity of it to our motel we were stating at.
We drove up a couple hours early, and we were greeted by a really nicely mannered woman. We walked around to kill time– the place was in decent shape, but it def had a rustic mountain feel.
After everyone filed in, we were given a really funny and entertaining lecture of safety by a man named Scott (he later became our guide). You can tell the staff were all really close because they kept messing with each other during the orientation.
We all got our gear and went onto an old school bus for a 45 min drive. The guides gave fun facts and cracked jokes the entire time, so the time flew by.
The rafting was phenomenal on the New River. We had 6 on our raft, the other two had 8 and 9. The rapids were intense, fun, drenching, and exhilarating. They were literally periods of intensity and calm them intensity. They were a mix of class 3 and class 5(most intense).
I was freezing the entire time, though. The water was decent, but the weather was awful-​cold and overcast. But the guides really helped me out and lent me a water proof coat to keep me warm (:
Lunch was provided for us: build-​your-​own sandwich with chips and dip, fruit, and veggies. PB+Js were also available.
It went by so quickly– from the rapids to the jump rocks to the guides. Ask for Scott or Bryan– they all were awesome guides, but these two really stood out to me.
We will def return ASAP!

My Dad and I went for a father daughter weekend to raft the New River and had an Amazing time with NRGA! We stayed in the cabins which were clean (minimal with no electricity or bathrooms, but all part of the experience). We had a great team lead who ended up being our guide Chris (I recommend him for all of you who may be nervous like I was). Overall, couldn’t have asked for a better time. Service was awesome, they were on time and organized. Will go back for sure, next time to attempt the Gauley!

I loved this rafting company! It is the last family owned business left on the New River! Our guide Reed was great today and the water was awesome! The entire staff was concerned about our safety and to make sure we enjoyed the trip! The double express by far I felt was the best deal if you want to ride the rapids twice, but if you want to play in the River then the all day trip may be better! Only one trip down
The camping is very primitive but we camped near the bathhouse and it worked out fine! No frills but it was manageable! You can camp between the pub and White House then between White House and Burrito bar! Little confusing but there is several fire pits and a table!
The Burrito bar has great burritos and it only like yards from camping spot! On Saturday night they had live music so not much peace and quiet that evening!
Overall, I definitely would recommend trying this company for the New River run! This run is great for first timers and teenagers!

despite the camping facilities weren’t great and the reception is closed after 4 when most people arrive, the friendliness or staff, the safety precautions/​instructions provided and our guide Dane were great. Beautiful scenery, fun bus ride and well organised and super lunch on the upper New River day trip.
Thank you guys!!! Next time a bit more sun? :-)

You will never feel more comfortable while being scared out of your mind for an upper Gauley rafting trip with these guys. With this being the only mom and pap rafting company left in this area, you’ll appreciate making choice to raft with them. You can tell from the first moment you meet the staff that they are there to do the best they can to make your experience one of a lifetime. I’ve been down the new river as well as both parts if the upper and lower Gauley with this gang and wouldn’t do it any other way.
Scottie T is by far my favorite guide. He is fun but serious when he needs to be. He is one of the most experienced guides in the whole industry of rafting here in West Virginia. Ask for him and you won’t be let down… Tell him Ashley sent you!
There many options of trips, choose the new river if you are nervous. But trust me you’ll crave to try to upper Gauley. Some trips will serve you lunch … And don’t worry it’s pretty good for eating on the river.
Make sure you view the video of your trip if that is an option. You’ll never see someone work so hard to make sure each boats rapid is caught on tape. Lil Perkins was ours this last trip and he did an amazing job! I’ll never forget a moment of my trip now.
I have to give one last bravo to the cook at the lodge. Some rafting packages come with breakfast and dinners and she does it up right. This isn’t a five star hotel but you DEFINITELY get your money’s worth on these packages.