New River Rapid Run

What kind of river is the Lower New?
The Lower New River is West Virginia whitewater rafting at its best! With a professional guide in every raft, instruction is provided at each major rapid as you float through the New River Gorge’s rapids rated Class I through V (on a scale of I to VI). The New River is a large volume river. The rapids are formed by the large shelf drops and boulders. These structures create monster waves, hydraulics and world class whitewater. In springtime, there may not be as much floating and leisurely swimming, since the river is typically moving so quickly. At this time of year, you can expect some of the biggest waves you'll ever see. 

What does Rivermen provide?
We provide a morning reception of coffee, tea, juice and hot chocolate, transportation to and from the river, all rafting equipment (helmet, life jacket, paddle & boat), professional guides in each raft and a complimentary beverage after the trip. We do not serve lunch on the Rapid Run.

How much time do we spend on the water?
The total trip is 4-5 hours from the time you leave base camp until you return. We spend 3-4 of those hours on the water.

How big are the boats?
Our standard rafts are 15 feet long and can comfortably seat 8-9 guests and a guide. If you're looking for a wilder ride, though, you might want to upgrade to a smaller boat. We have 14-foot 6-person rafts and 12-foot high adventure 4-person rafts also available for an extra fee. We call them T6 and T4 rafts respectively. A T4 on the Lower New in springtime could be the best ride of your life.

What else might we need?
You should bring any medication you need throughout the day, plus sunscreen, sun glasses and if the weather is a little nippy, a dry layer to put on after the trip. (Your guide will be able to put it into a dry bag.) In springtime, bring synthetic layers for your time on the river, as well. If necessary, we also rent wetsuits and paddle jackets.

Via our partnership with Whitewater Photography, we also sell photos of you in the rapids. Our video boaters also accompany most trips and we offer DVDs of your experience for an extra charge. To ensure you get a video, you can pre-order one with your reservation.

We went on the Upper and Lower New River, and our guide Chris made the trip fantastic, he was very entertaining, he told us what to expect and he was very cheerful and nice, he made the trip a lot more enjoyable, he deserves a raise, he is the best guide! He made the trip a whole lot better. You can tell him that Collin his little buddy wrote this!
Collin Bremer

We will be heading to West Virginia to see you guys for our honeymoon trip down the Gauley. It's only fitting since we met three and a half years ago on the New River in Middle Keeney Rapid.
Kristen's Story: The Icebreaker weekend trip down the New was the first for me. The trip was a total adrenaline rush, and it got even more exciting when the raft behind ours flipped over and dumped all eight rafters into the Middle Keeney rapids. We pulled two rafters out of the water. One of them was Joe.
Joe's Story: It was a last minute college trip for the weekend to the New. It was the first time I had rafted with Rivermen and it was the first time I met my wife. The free beverage that evening was encouragement for us to get to know each other a little better. Life is good.
We have now been rafting down the Lower New River with Rivermen every April for the last four years. It's always great rafting with you. Our group of rafters has grown from eight people to nearly 30. Raft On!
The Leggets

So I went to Rivermen yesterday a bit concerned about our trip due to weather conditions and was amazingly surprised. We experienced rain, fog, thunder, lightning and sunshine and had the best time! Our guide was Nick, a.k.a., Nugget, who I highly recommend. He made it super fun. I took my friend, who's visiting from Europe and he had a great time too. We rafted the Lower New River. It was a really great time. There were plenty of areas along the way to get off the raft and swim, also the guides let us swim through a few swimmer's rapids which were a lot fun as well. I rafted the Middle/Lower Gauley a few years back and can honestly say that rafting with crazy weather this time actually made it more challenging and therefore more fun. The actual water level was a bit lower than usual, but it made it easier to see all of the massive rocks that are usually covered up by water. I couldn't have been happier with my trip and am booking another in the very near future. Rivermen ROCKS!
Tonya Swinehart

For the past couple of years we have rafted the Lower New River. This year we decided to try out the new canopy tours. As always Rivermen made our trip great, the staff was well knowledge and very well trained in keeping us safe and creating a lifetime of memories. We will continue to be Rivermen repeats thanks again for a great time.
Andrea, Ashland, KY

We had a group of 36 out of which 32 went on the half day Lower New. We had an amazing time. The staff was upbeat, knowledgable and friendly. I would recommend to any first timers.
Thomas Stover, Baltimore, MD

Thanks to the friendly and courteous staff at the Rivermen for making our stay with you so pleasant. You have a really fun environment there. Our rafting guide, Eric, made our trip down the Lower New River exciting, yet safe for us first time rafters. How's he do that? Anyway, from the time I made the reservation until the time we left, there were no problems. Thumbs up for the Rivermen organization!
Larry Burns, Hudsonville, Michigan

My very first experience on the New River was with another outfitter 5 years ago and it was NOT a good one. I finally bucked up the courage this year to give the New River another go at it and I couldn't have had a better time! Robert was my guide and group leader and he ROCKED!!
Angie Daniels, Cleveland, OH

I want to thank all the guides and staff at Rivermen. We brought 4 kids and two adults down to the New River and had a blast. Two of us had been there before and we'll all be back again. Ashley was a great guide with our "duckies" on the upper and Maggie was a great guide on the Lower with the 6 of us in the sweep raft. A great couple of days. The campsite was great and the staff there for breakfast and dinner were friendly and courteous. Everyone made you feel right at home. Thanks for a great trip.
William Gravatt, Fort Wayne, Indiana