Not sure if y’all had a chance to check it out…I confess I’m late posting about it, even though I did so last year…but the 2006 Gauley River Festival took place this last weekend with raging torrents of water flowing from the Gauley Dam in West Virginia. The festival is said to be the largest river festival in the world.
I’ve never been to the festival, but I have rafted the river. It’s rather intense, depending on where you put in, with Class V rapids being rather common on some stretches. During the fest, thousands of people converge on the river to enjoy a weekend of paddling, gear-gazing, music and food and to celebrate the raging sluice tubes at the gauley dam. This year’s Gauley Fest ran from September 22 to 24. The river offers two sections, the Upper and Lower Gauley. For intermediate and expert boaters, the upper, middle, and lower sections of the Gauley offer some serious whitewater with class IV and V rapids. But there are also ample opportunities for beginners and intermediates to paddle sections of class I-III whitewater. If you’re looking to make it Gauley Fest, you might want to check in with a few of the outfitters there. A few of the notables are Gauley.com, and Rivers Resort. You can also get some good information from the National Park Service’s Gauley site.