What a great way to spend a summer day. This is a rafting review, we only came up for the day, but…read morewe are already talking about next year and doing a two day visit and double our rafting fun. We picked the Lower New River, a full day adventure. We kicked off a little bit before 9 and had a quick equipment assignment and then climbed aboard a well seasoned bus. Its a bus and it served its purpose. During the ride we got a basic but funny safety briefing. You can tell these guys love their job and enjoy making life fun. After about a 25 minute ride, we arrived at the departure spot and got assigned a raft. We are a family of 4 so they assigned two more people to our raft and our guide, Jackson was phenomenal! Seriously, Jackson is so chill and personable, we could have just hung out and listened to his adventures in life. He did a really great job making everyone feel welcomed, valued and appreciated. For me, I know I would have been barking rules at our novice tubers, but he just gave specific instructions on what to expect, what to do if the 'in case' happens, and provided assurance that he would protect everyone. He also provided fun little facts about the river and history of the Gorge. We saw class II to class IV rapids and there were some intense moments. It took me a couple rapids to figure out that Jackson would strategically place our boat in the best part of the rapids for maximum effect, which made this ride so memorable. Despite sometimes facing a wall of water, we always felt in control and hearing Jackson hooting and hollering like a kid gave the assurance and reminder that this is 100% fun adrenaline. The river water was cool and refreshing, not shockingly cold in July and the levels were high so we had a good time. We did stop half way down for a lunch which consisted of either meat/cheese sandwiches or PB sandwiches, potato salad, a pasta salad, watermelon, chips & salsa, and a desert. It was good and sustained everyone. The second half of the day the river was even better than the first half. At the end, we got picked up by the bus with an even shorter ride back to AOTG. They provided a couple coolers of ice cold water, soda, and gatorade for the ride back. Once back we showered, changed and checked out the photos of our trip. This was an 11 out of 10 experience for my family and like I said, we are already planning on coming back for a 2 day trip.

Wow wow wow. We tend to be a little bougie with our accommodations so we were going out on a limb…read moreduring our trip to West Virginia. Partly because there were no four seasons in the area (mostly joking) but also because we were in WeSt vIrGiNiA and wanted to get in touch with NaTuRe we decided to go outside of our cocmfort zone and picked some closer to nature options. This was the second. We went with Kaymoor at Adventures on the Gorge. Thjey have the full scale between literal camping and hotel-like, I believe we chose the most hotel-like option. I wanted to do the glamping but there were none available about a month before our trip when I finally got my shit together to book shit. Check in was super easy. We were given a key and a treasure map of how to get to our "cabin" which was easy to drive to. It is a legit cabin in the woods but will all amenities one would expect staying in the a hotel. Great bathroom and shower with a ton of towels, bedroom and separate lounge room that included a mini fridge. TV, wifi, climate control. There was even a cute little porch with chairs in the literal woods. It is so cool. AC worked great. The shower was great. They provided more towels than I'm used to getting at hotels. The bed was SUPER COMFY. I literally don't have enough good things to say about this place. Such a good choice.

After tons of research + my own trip, ACE Adventure Resort is the best company for ziplining and…read moreriver rafting at New River Gorge. Best prices I found, and the experience was amazing. Ryan Polte was our zipline guide -- incredible sense of humor and kept everyone engaged the whole time. Made it super fun while keeping us 100% safe. Nathan Frye was our river rafting guide and he's a true pro. Knew every rapid by name, taught us how to navigate like experts, and charted the perfect line for excitement and fun. Kept the whole raft engaged with great conversation. Safe, memorable, and worth every penny. Highly recommend ACE!

Rafting: Our guide Carter was friendly, experienced and helpful. This young man knows his stuff. I…read morefelt confident being in his boat and under his guidance. Our trip was an eventful one down the lower Gauley. He helped other boats by retrieving someone's shoe and two oars that were lost during one of the rapids. He also rescued a lost dog that kept following and swimming toward us. We pulled her into the boat and joined us through a few rapids before finding some riverside campers to take care of her. WHAT an experience! Ziplining: Davey and Mason were also friendly and professional. Making jokes along the way while taking care of group members who were more anxious. Seriously, every member of the staff that I came in contact with, from the lady who took my reservations, the people who set us up with gear, orientated us before the rafting, helped us in the gift shop, the BRAVE bus drivers, the videographer Nico... they all seemed to love their jobs and were good at it. High praise all around.

Many people have said the same thing, but if you go, just go ahead and leave your phone in the car…read moreand enjoy the show. Smoke and mirrors? Yup. Sideshow vibe? Check. Campy, silly, harmless fun? Also true. The outside does have a lovely view of the gorge and looks exactly as a roadside attraction should! Absolutely worth the price of admission!

Very unique! You won't regret! Not what you would expect way out there! A lot of bang for your buck!read more

Took a Saturday afternoon drive out to Plum Orchard Lake with the fam in our Jeep. It's about 1.5…read morehours from us -- a mix of interstate, toll roads, winding turns, and peaceful backroads that made the ride feel like part of the adventure. When we arrived, the lake did *not* disappoint -- calm water, gorgeous scenery, and just a relaxed, welcoming energy. We didn't even try to explore the whole place (it's huge). We stopped at the first dock we saw, hopped out with our gear, and got straight to fishing. Mealworms on the hook, lines in the water, and good vibes all around. We saw fish swimming past and had a few nibbles, but no actual catches this time. Still, the whole experience was a win. It wasn't crowded at all -- just a few groups scattered around, everyone spaced out enough that it still felt peaceful. No loud music, no chaos, just people enjoying nature. **Pro Tips:** * Bring your own bait, drinks, and plenty of snacks (trust me, you'll get hungry). * There's a port-o-potty nearby *or*, you know\... nature works in a pinch (ask the boys ). * Sunscreen is a must and a hat, perhaps. We're already planning a return trip -- maybe with kayaks or to check out another part of the lake. If you're looking for a quiet, scenic spot to fish, chill, or just unwind without a crowd, Plum Orchard is a solid pick.

I was in the area and on a lark decided to check out the lake. It is truly a hidden gem in these…read morelovely hills! The southern part of the lake had a large layer of lily pads and the water caught the fall colors of the hills perfectly. I wish I had a boat there so I could go out on the water, it was a perfectly tranquil day.

This visitor center sits next to the iconic bridge over New River Gorge. It has ample parking. The…read moreinterior offers a gift shop, a basic introductory movie, and occasional educational events. It also has rocking chairs inside if you want to look out over the river. Outside the building is a walkway that goes down a significant number of stairs to a platform that looks out towards the bridge. It likely has some of the best views of any National Park visitor center you're ever likely to find. It's also a good place to get information and load up on water before heading down into the gorge where amenities are limited and cell service is generally absent. There's no charge to stop in.

If you're visiting New River gorge, this is probably the second stop you make after the incredible…read moreoverlook to the bridge. The visitor center is clean and there is plenty of parking. There are restrooms inside but the building is not dog friendly. They did have the national parks passport stamp so my husband was very excited about that. The building has some interpretive exhibits about the gorge, the famous bridge and the recent regions history. There is also a viewing area. I feel like the center was closing earlier than I expected it to, so we had to make our visit a quick one but it is a great jumping off point for spending time in the park.

Superb experience at Rustic Retreat over 4th of July weekend. Mark, the owner and keeper is…read moreinsightful and friendly - a huge plus for me. This was a girl's weekend away and we wanted adventure, quiet and relaxation. That's exactly what we got. We stayed in a larger cabin, which was extremely clean and cozy. Lots of space (they sleep up to 8-10, I believe) and comfy beds. Functional kitchen with the basic cooking supplies, wraparound porch (upper level porch as well) and fire pit, bbq, etc. Gorgeous, peaceful grounds which Mark has worked hard to maintain, it definitely shows. For active folks, there are lots of places to hike, kayak, etc., within a 30-45 minute radius. There are some activity/tourist guides within the cabin as well. Fayetteville is nearby, which is an adorable little town with a few shops, movie theatre, coffee shop and brewery/pizza shop. I would love to visit in the fall as I can imagine the foliage is amazing. Highly recommend staying here and already looking forward to the next WV trip.

I came by myself for 3 nights to relax & explore this beautiful area…read more The hostel is super easy to find and is in a great location. Just across the bridge from Fayetteville which has everything you need. Centrally located among an amazing amount of outdoor opportunities. The hostel is not staffed. You simply reserve on line and then receive an email with the door code. If you don't receive your email, call before you come or you may be sitting on the front porch for a while The hostel is neat and clean. Clean sheets on the bed. But towels are NOT included. Being your own. One of the fun parts about staying at a hostel is the interesting people you can meet. Usually it is a group of young people on an adventure. But it is a gamble. This time lost. I got Grandma and 4 kids age 7-15. Gma pumped them full of sugar. They were very loud & fought constantly. Gma yelled. So much for the relaxing part of my trip. This is why some hostels have an age restriction and why earplugs are mandatory. Overall it was a great place to stay. I would come again & would recommend it to my friends

By far the cheapest lodging in New River Gorge country. It kinda shocks me that there's no yelp…read morereview of the place, but better now than never. This is a hostel indeed, $22.50/night all-inclusive. You book it via paypal after checking the online calendar. In my experience, I didn't see my reservation updated, so I called the listed number to confirm. You should know it's not your typical hostel in that there's not a "lobby" or typical reception area - it's more like a big guest-house - so it took a day or two for them to call me back and let me know that my reservation was confirmed. I arrived late on a Friday night - thankfully they gave me a passcode to get in the door, so there's no such thing as a late arrival cutoff. That said, I pulled up after 11pm to this dark, quiet space, no cars parked there, but a couple of guys across the street outside a building talking a little loudly to each other. The circumstances made me think for a moment, "Did I make the right move coming here?", but I had nothing to worry about. The hostel is huge, a living space that you walk into, with downstairs leading to a couple of shared bunk rooms and bathrooms. It turned out I wasn't alone, as there was one other guest who didn't have a car, but she stayed in one room and I the other, so we had our own rooms for our stay. The bunks are pretty small - if I was laying on my back and lifted my knees I'd hit the bottom of the top mattress - but it was comfortable and I slept well. The upstairs living space has some games and a kitchen with a stocked fridge, to the point that it looks like it may be the owner's personal fridge. I used it to store my water bottles, which was hopefully okay. Incidentally, you can see the whole breakdown of the place via a YouTube video the owner made. It's pretty much as advertised. I really didn't spend much time here beyond sleep, though - there's a veritable bounty of outdoor riches in this land, so I was out the door at 7am both mornings I was here. You can't get much more convenient than here - just north of the bridge. It was interesting that I never met the owner, but I did keep pretty odd hours and she did leave a friendly note for me at the door. I loved my whole weekend in the area, and of course I loved paying $45 for two nights - should I return to this area in the future, I'll stay here without question.

The J.W. and Hazel Ruby West Virginia Welcome Center opened prior to the 2017 National Scout…read moreJamboree, which was held at the nearby Summit Bechtel Reserve. It serves as the gateway to the Jamboree site, and includes exhibits on Scouting, a small but well-stocked gift shop, and a friendly staff. The Welcome Center is accessible from both the southbound and northbound lanes of US-19. There is plenty of parking and the building itself is worth seeing. This summer (2019) it will welcome many thousands of staff and visitors to the World Scout Jamboree!