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River access points in West Virginia

Put-ins, take-outs and public landings on the ten major rivers, with the reach each one serves. Reaches and their classes come from American Whitewater; the sites come from the agency or river group that manages them.

61 access points10 rivers51 reaches

Most West Virginia rivers have no published list of their own access points.

The National Park Service names its river access inside the New River Gorge, and Friends of the Cheat publishes what each of its sites has and what it still needs. Everywhere else, the public record is mostly the reach: where a run starts, where it ends and how hard it is. That is what this page carries, and it marks the difference rather than filling the gap with a guess.

New River · 16 sites

New River

Access inside the gorge is almost entirely federal, and the National Park Service names its public river access points rather than rating them. There is no entrance fee to the park and no camping fee at park campgrounds, but the campgrounds are primitive: no drinking water, no hookups, no electricity and limited restrooms. The river changes character at Thurmond — Hinton down to Thurmond is Class I–III, and below Thurmond it narrows into technical Class III–IV.

Fayette Station Road is one-way for eight miles and vehicles over 12 feet cannot complete it, so it constrains which shuttle vehicle you can use. The water around Sandstone Falls has been the site of several drownings.

Reaches

Bluestone Dam Sandstone I–II
Sandstone McCreery I–III
McCreery Thurmond I–III
Thurmond Cunard III
Cunard Fayette Station III–IV
Hawks Nest Dam Gauley Bridge the New River Dries

Access points

Tug Creek Beach River access · River Road, Hinton Facilities not published · No park entrance fee Bluestone Dam to Sandstone
Brooks Falls River access · River Road, Hinton Trail, picnic area, small boardwalk view · No park entrance fee Bluestone Dam to Sandstone
Hellems Beach River access · River Road, Hinton Facilities not published · No park entrance fee Bluestone Dam to Sandstone
Sandstone Falls day-use area Day use and river access · River Road, eight miles downstream of Hinton via WV 20 from I-64 exit 139 Parking, boardwalk and bridges across two islands below the falls · No park entrance fee Bluestone Dam to Sandstone
Meadow Creek River access with campground · Off WV 41 near Prince, parking along Claypol Road Primitive campground: no drinking water, no hookups, limited restrooms · No camping fee Sandstone to McCreery
McCreery River access · Off WV 41 near Prince Facilities not published · No park entrance fee Sandstone to McCreery
Grandview Sandbar River access with campground · Off WV 41 near Prince Primitive campground · No camping fee McCreery to Thurmond
Mill Creek River access · Off WV 41 near Prince Parking along State Route 5 is sparse · No park entrance fee McCreery to Thurmond
Glade Creek River access with campground · Off WV 41 near Prince Primitive campground · No camping fee McCreery to Thurmond
Army Camp River access with campground · Inside the national park Primitive campground; the park describes easy access to the river for fishing and boating · No camping fee not published
Brooklyn River access with campground · Inside the national park Primitive campground · No camping fee Thurmond to Cunard
Thayer River access with campground · Inside the national park Primitive campground · No camping fee Thurmond to Cunard
Stone Cliff River access with campground · Near Thurmond Primitive campground · No camping fee Thurmond to Cunard
Dunglen River access · Near Thurmond Facilities not published · No park entrance fee Thurmond to Cunard
Cunard River access · Cunard Road from Fayetteville Facilities not published · No park entrance fee Cunard to Fayette Station — the commercial put-in
Fayette Station River access · Bottom of Fayette Station Road, off Lansing-Edmond Road near Fayetteville Parking at the bottom of the road; the road is one-way for eight miles and vehicles over 12 feet cannot complete it · No park entrance fee Cunard to Fayette Station — take-out

Managed by National Park Service. Source

Gauley River · 4 sites

Gauley River

The whitewater Gauley is two reaches below the Army Corps dam: Summersville Dam to Woods Ferry, the Upper at Class IV–V, and Woods Ferry to Swiss, the Lower at Class III–IV. Because the put-in is the dam tailwater, the season is set by scheduled reservoir releases rather than rainfall. Camping at the top end is at Gauley Tailwaters in the national recreation area, with no camping fee.

Summersville Dam, Woods Ferry and Swiss are three separate road approaches, not a loop: a shuttle is not optional here. The upper river above Camden-on-Gauley is Class I–III and has nothing to do with the release-fed canyon.

Reaches

Summersville Dam Woods Ferry IV–V, the Upper Gauley
Woods Ferry Swiss III–IV(V), the Lower Gauley
Turkey Fork confluence Bolair I–III
Bolair Donaldson I–III
Donaldson Camden-on-Gauley I–III
Camden-on-Gauley Curtin Bridge I–III

Access points

Summersville Dam tailwater Put-in for the Upper Gauley · Below Summersville Dam Facilities not published Summersville Dam to Woods Ferry
Woods Ferry Take-out and put-in · Woods Ferry Road, Nicholas County Facilities not published Upper Gauley take-out, Lower Gauley put-in
Swiss Take-out · Swiss, Nicholas County Facilities not published Lower Gauley take-out
Gauley Tailwaters campground Campground at the put-in end · Gauley River National Recreation Area Primitive; site count not published · No camping fee Summersville Dam tailwater

Managed by National Park Service and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Source

Greenbrier River · 7 sites

Greenbrier River

Access here is organised around the Greenbrier River Trail rather than around boat ramps, because the rail-trail runs the bank for 78 miles. The trail's own planning page names canoe access at North Caldwell, mile 3, reached across US 60 from the Caldwell boat launch, and at Renick, mile 24.5. The whole river is Class I–II with one Class III noted between Spring Creek and Anthony, so water level rather than difficulty decides the day.

Do not assume every trail milepost is a launch. Shuttles are easier here than on any other West Virginia river: bike-and-shuttle operators work out of Marlinton and Caldwell, and the Mountain Transit Authority asks for a day's notice.

Reaches

Durbin Hosterman I–II
Hosterman Cass I–II
Cass Clover Lick I–II
Clover Lick Laurel Run I–II
Laurel Run Marlinton I–II
Spring Creek Anthony I(III)
Ronceverte Fort Spring I–II
Fort Spring Alderson I–II
Talcott Willowood Bridge I–II
Willowood Bridge Bellepoint I–II

Access points

Caldwell boat launch Canoe access · Caldwell, across US 60 from the North Caldwell trailhead at trail mile 3 Trail parking at the North Caldwell trailhead Ronceverte to Fort Spring
Renick canoe access Canoe access · Renick, trail mile 24.5 Trail access with parking Laurel Run to Marlinton
Marlinton Reach endpoint · Marlinton, US 219, trail mile 56 Facilities not published Laurel Run to Marlinton take-out
Cass Reach endpoint · Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, off State Route 66 Facilities not published Hosterman to Cass
Anthony Reach endpoint · Anthony, Greenbrier County Facilities not published Spring Creek to Anthony take-out
Alderson Reach endpoint · Alderson, Greenbrier County Facilities not published Fort Spring to Alderson take-out
Bellepoint Reach endpoint · Bellepoint at Hinton Facilities not published Willowood Bridge to Bellepoint take-out

Managed by West Virginia State Parks, with the Greenbrier River Trail Association. Source

Cheat River · 8 sites

Cheat River

The Cheat is the one West Virginia river where a nonprofit is the visible access manager, and the sites are actively being rebuilt. Friends of the Cheat publishes what each one is and what it still needs. On the Narrows, The Driveway off Route 72 is the put-in and the Cheat River Trailhead at Kingwood is the take-out; the Canyon run ends at Jenkinsburg, owned by the West Virginia Land Trust since 2020 and co-managed with Friends of the Cheat.

The Caves, also called YaYa's Landing, was acquired in 2025 but its stairs and raft slide are not built — do not plan a trip around it. On Big Sandy Creek the Rockville bridge has been closed since August 2020: the river-left approach needs a high-clearance vehicle and crosses private land, and the Pisgah side is the better road.

Reaches

Holly Meadows Bridge Riverview Lounge I–II, Seven Islands
Rowlesburg Cheat River Trailhead II–III, the Narrows
Albright Jenkinsburg Bridge III–IV, the Canyon
Jenkinsburg Bridge Cheat Lake III

Access points

The Driveway Carry-down put-in on an easy sloped path · Along Route 72, Cheat Narrows The largest parking area on Route 72; further parking work planned The Narrows
Cheat River Trailhead Take-out with a path up to the parking lot · 10922 River Road, Kingwood Accessible parking, wayfinding signage, rest areas, water bottle filling stations, the Keith Pitzer Memorial Pavilion; open dawn to dusk The Narrows take-out
Jenkinsburg Take-out and put-in · Jenkinsburg Bridge, Preston County Road maintained; the bridge remains open Canyon take-out, Cheat Lake put-in
The Caves / YaYa's Landing Not yet built — concrete stairs and a raft slide are planned · Cheat Narrows Expanded parking planned; Friends of the Cheat put the remaining cost at about $570,000 The Narrows
Rockville access, Big Sandy Creek Creek access · Rockville, Valley Point side and Pisgah side Bridge closed since August 2020; the river-left road needs high clearance and crosses private property, the Pisgah road is in better condition Big Sandy Creek to the Cheat
Friends of the Cheat campground Riverside campground at the Canyon put-in end · 139 Beech Run Road, Albright Vault toilets, potable water, primitive designated sites only, no hookups and no generators · $20 per site per day for up to four people, $10 for members, paid at the back-gate station Canyon put-in area
Albright Put-in · Albright, Preston County Facilities not published The Canyon
Rowlesburg Put-in · Rowlesburg, Preston County Facilities not published The Narrows

Managed by Friends of the Cheat and the West Virginia Land Trust. Source

Tygart Valley River · 5 sites

Tygart Valley River

The Tygart is not one river. Class I–II farm-country floats sit immediately upstream of Class III–V gorge runs, and the reach you choose matters more here than on any other river in the state. No agency publishes its access sites, so what follows are the reach endpoints American Whitewater names.

Both the Tygart Gorge below Belington and the Arden section are rated Class III–V. Neither is a step up from the easy water above them; they are different rivers.

Reaches

Valley Head US 219 bridge near Elkwater Fork II+
US 219 bridge Hutton I–II
Aggregates Beaver Creek confluence II–III+, the Loop
Belington Buckhannon River confluence III–V, the Gorge
Above Arden Big Cove Run III–V, the Arden section
Valley Falls Hammond II–IV

Access points

Valley Head Reach endpoint · Valley Head, Randolph County Facilities not published Valley Head to the US 219 bridge
Hutton Reach endpoint · Hutton, Randolph County Facilities not published US 219 bridge to Hutton
Belington Reach endpoint · Belington, Barbour County Facilities not published The Gorge put-in
Valley Falls Reach endpoint · Valley Falls State Park, Marion County Facilities not published Valley Falls to Hammond put-in
Hammond Reach endpoint · Hammond, Marion County Facilities not published Valley Falls to Hammond take-out

Managed by not published. Source

Elk River · 4 sites

Elk River

The single most important thing about the upper Elk is in the name American Whitewater gives its top reach: the Dry Bed of the Elk. The river loses its flow underground above Elk Springs, so the Slatyfork section is not reliably runnable. Below Webster Springs it settles into Class II–III. The Elk River Trail now follows 73 miles of the corridor from Clendenin to Gassaway, which is the easiest bank access on the river.

WVDNR lists the upper Elk among its stocked trout waters, so bank access exists, but the agency publishes individual sites only through its interactive map rather than as a list.

Reaches

Slatyfork Elk Springs fish hatchery II–III, the Dry Bed of the Elk
Elk Springs Bergoo II–III
Bergoo Webster Springs II–III
Webster Springs CR 7 bridge II–III, Down Elk

Access points

Slatyfork Reach endpoint · Slatyfork, US 219 Facilities not published Dry Bed of the Elk put-in
Elk Springs Reach endpoint · Elk Springs fish hatchery Facilities not published Slatyfork to Elk Springs take-out
Webster Springs Reach endpoint · Webster Springs, Webster County Facilities not published Down Elk put-in
CR 7 bridge and gauging station Reach endpoint · County Route 7 Facilities not published Down Elk take-out

Managed by not published for individual sites. Source

South Branch of the Potomac · 5 sites

South Branch of the Potomac

Two signature sections sit on this river, and both are bracketed by named landings: Smoke Hole Canyon, which splits at Big Bend Campground into an upper run at Class I–III+ and a lower at Class I–II(III), and the Trough, which runs from the US 220 bridge north of Moorefield down to Harmison's Landing. Nothing here is harder than Class III+, so shuttle distance and low summer water are the real planning problems.

Harmison's Landing is a named landing whose ownership and access terms are not published. Check locally before relying on it.

Reaches

Virginia line CR 23 bridge I–II
CR 23 bridge Ruddle I–II
US 220 bridge north of Upper Tract Big Bend Campground I–III+, upper Smoke Hole
Big Bend Campground Petersburg I–II(III), lower Smoke Hole
US 220 north of Moorefield Harmison's Landing I–II, the Trough

Access points

US 220 bridge north of Upper Tract Put-in · US 220, Pendleton County Facilities not published Upper Smoke Hole
Big Bend Campground Campground and river access · Smoke Hole, Monongahela National Forest Campground; facility detail not published in the sources checked Upper Smoke Hole take-out, lower Smoke Hole put-in
South Grove Street, Petersburg Take-out · Petersburg, Grant County Facilities not published Lower Smoke Hole take-out
US 220 bridge north of Moorefield Put-in · US 220, Hardy County Facilities not published The Trough put-in
Harmison's Landing Landing · Hardy County Facilities not published The Trough take-out

Managed by not published for individual sites. Source

Cacapon River · 5 sites

Cacapon River

The whole river is Class I–II, and the classic run is the Caudy's Castle reach from US 50 down to the WV 127 bridge at Bloomery. Two of the six named access points are businesses or crossings rather than public facilities, which is the thing to check before you commit to a shuttle.

No published confirmation exists that Stoney Creek Store or Cacapon Crossing are public access sites with parking. Ask first.

Reaches

Capon Lake Capon Bridge I
Capon Bridge, US 50 WV 127 bridge at Bloomery II, Caudy's Castle
WV 127 bridge Cacapon Crossing I–II
Cacapon Crossing Largent I–II
Largent Fishers Ford I–II

Access points

Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge Put-in at a historic truss bridge · Capon Lake, Hampshire County Facilities not published Capon Lake to Capon Bridge
Capon Bridge Take-out and put-in · US 50, Hampshire County Facilities not published Caudy's Castle put-in
WV 127 bridge, Bloomery Take-out and put-in · WV 127, Hampshire County Facilities not published Caudy's Castle take-out
Stoney Creek Store, Largent Reach endpoint at a business · Largent, Morgan County Facilities not published Lower Cacapon put-in
Fishers Ford Reach endpoint · Morgan County Facilities not published Lower Cacapon take-out

Managed by not published for individual sites. Source

Bluestone River · 3 sites

Bluestone River

Two published reaches, Spanishburg to Eads Mill at Class I–III and Eads Mill to Bluestone State Park at Class II–III. The lower take-out is on impounded water at the park rather than on free-flowing river, which is the part people misjudge. Bluestone National Scenic River protects the gorge downstream, and the Bluestone Turnpike Trail walks it.

Bluestone State Park's launch surface, parking and fees are not published on the pages checked.

Reaches

Spanishburg Eads Mill I–III
Eads Mill Bluestone State Park II–III

Access points

Spanishburg Put-in · Spanishburg, Mercer County Facilities not published Spanishburg to Eads Mill
Eads Mill Take-out and put-in · Mercer County Facilities not published Both reaches
Bluestone State Park Take-out with public launches · Near Hinton, Summers County Public boat launches on the Bluestone River and at Bluestone Lake; marina rentals Eads Mill to Bluestone State Park

Managed by West Virginia State Parks at the lower end. Source

Meadow River · 4 sites

Meadow River

A Gauley tributary where difficulty escalates sharply downstream: the Upper Meadow is III–IV+(V), the Middle is III–IV, and the Lower is a flat Class V. That makes the Route 19 bridge the most consequential decision point on the river, because putting in there commits you to Class V.

The Lower Meadow takes out at the Gauley confluence, so a Meadow trip finishes as a Gauley trip and needs a Gauley-scale shuttle.

Reaches

East Rainelle Russellville III–IV+(V), the Upper
Nallen Route 19 bridge III–IV, the Middle
Route 19 bridge Gauley confluence V, the Lower

Access points

East Rainelle Put-in · East Rainelle, Greenbrier County Facilities not published Upper Meadow
Russellville Take-out · Fayette County Facilities not published Upper Meadow
Nallen Put-in · Nallen, Fayette County Facilities not published Middle Meadow
Route 19 bridge Take-out and put-in · US 19, Fayette County Facilities not published Middle Meadow take-out, Lower Meadow put-in

Managed by not published for individual sites. Source