Faced with the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic, one West Virginia resort on the New River Gorge is marketing crowd-free river adventures.
Adventures on the Gorge, located on the rim of the New River Gorge in southern West Virginia, is eliminating deadlines for the purchase of rafting passes online.
The passes previously had a book-by date of March 31 but can now be purchased and used anytime throughout the 2020 season, according to resort CEO Roger Wilson.
“Rafting and other outdoor adventures are good choices for pragmatic travelers who crave the joy of travel but are reluctant to commit to a trip as the crisis continues to unfold,” Wilson confirmed in a press release.
“In light of the concerns, this summer is an especially good year to consider crowd-free adventures in natural settings like whitewater rafting.”
The passes, priced at $109, can be used for a variety of rafting trips on the New River and Gauley River, both of which are popular U.S. destinations for whitewater rafting.
A rafting pass is like an insurance policy, Wilson said. If plans change due to health, weather or any other concerns, rafters can simply choose a different time to visit.
Once purchased, rafters need only choose the day and make reservations 48 hours in advance.
Wilson noted that most guests travel by car to get to the rural resort near Fayetteville, West Virginia. Air travelers generally fly into Charleston, West Virginia—a 70-minute drive from the resort.
“Car travel will be popular this summer," Wilson said, "and this is a fun, scenic, and inspirational destination for road-trippers."
New River rafting through Adventures on the Gorge is generally available daily from April 1 through Oct. 1, and Gauley River rafting begins in mid-May and ends in the autumn at the conclusion of Gauley Season.
The New River Gorge and New River Gorge National Park and Preserve are a drive of approximately five hours from Charlotte, N.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, and the D.C. Metro.
