The Gauley River National Recreation Area, located near Summersville, West Virginia

Summersville, West Virginia

Summersville is a town in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,194 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Nicholas County.-Geography:...

, protects a 25 miles (40.2 km) portion of the Gauley River

Gauley River

The Gauley River is a river in West Virginia. It merges with the New River to form the Kanawha River, a tributary of the Ohio River. It is one of the most popular advanced whitewater runs in the Eastern United States and is the chief feature of the Gauley River National Recreation Area.-Headwaters...

 and a 5.5 miles (8.9 km) segment of the Meadow River

Meadow River

The Meadow River is a tributary of the Gauley River, making its headwaters in Greenbrier County and terminating in Nicholas County of West Virginia. It is named for the grassy meadows wetlands which its upper watershed drains, and from which it springs...

 in southern West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

. Little of the park is accessible via roads; one must travel via the river. At the upstream end of the park is the Summersville Dam, the only area of the park accessible by vehicle.

Rapids

Within the park are a number of Class V

International Scale of River Difficulty

The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, or a single rapid. The grade reflects the technical difficulty and skill level required associated with the section of river...

 rapids. They have been given names such as:

• Insignificant
• Pillow Rock
• Lost Paddle
• Iron Ring
• Sweet's Falls

External links

• Official NPS Site
• Summersville Lake water levels and outflow