Kayaking and Canoeing

WILLIAMSTOWN, W.Va. — As interest in kayaking on the Ohio River in West Virginia increases, officials advise paddlers to be especially attentive to safety. While the river may seem a sleepy reprieve in good weather, paddlers should be aware of barge traffic and inclement weather, according to Michael Schramm, visitor services manager for the Ohio … Read more

WILLIAMSTOWN, W.Va. — More than 20 virtually forgotten islands in the Ohio River in West Virginia are increasingly attracting kayakers drawn by the opportunity to explore one of the nation’s evolving wildlife refuges. Amid a landscape pulled from the pages of a Mark Twain novel, the islands, shorelines, and underwater habitat protected as part of … Read more

GILBERT, W.Va. — Officials with the Guyandotte Water Trail Alliance are inviting paddlers and residents of the Guyandotte Valley in West Virginia to float the scenic river during the third annual Guyandotte River Regatta & Float. Being celebrated June 24 at four river-access points in southern and southwestern West Virginia, the event will begin at … Read more

While West Virginia boasts some of the cleanest mountain streams in the U.S., there’s work to be done on rivers in formerly industrialized areas of the state where conscientious kayakers are working to remove debris. Since its inception in 2016, the Trash-Your-Kayak Cleanup Crew has removed more than 3,000 tires and three-and-a-half tons of trash … Read more

Established a year ago, West Virginia’s flatwater trail commission is moving forward to connect resources for the state’s 14 water trails, including 88 miles of waterway being developed for paddling, kayaking, and fishing. Commission president Bill Currey says the organization has been studying trail systems in other states and will now move forward at home, … Read more

West Virginia is growing rapidly as a destination for flatwater paddling, welcoming a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts who are discovering the magic of its clear-running streams. Proponents say the growth is having a symbiotic effect, energizing the broadly realized sport as well as the communities into which it’s been introduced. Bill Currey, executive director … Read more

The valley of the Guyandotte might be counted among West Virginia’s more remote regions. Devil Anse Hatfield was born and died here, and the Battle of Blair Mountain was fought among the twisting ridges that feed its middle course. Tens of thousands of miners worked its rich coal seams, though outsiders seldom ventured into its … Read more

The West Fork River is fast becoming one of the state’s most exciting destinations for kayak fishing, according to a spokesman for a river-restoration organization hosting its second annual float trip June 1. “I don’t think most people realize what we have here,” says John Ciesla, president of Guardians of the West Fork, which launched … Read more

As many as 500 participants are expected to attend the sixth annual Elk River Float Trip June 8 at Sutton, West Virginia, in Braxton County. Paddlers might not encounter the region’s legendary Braxton County Monster, but they can expect two to three hours of splashy fun on this gentle, five-mile section of river in the … Read more

Expecting to break attendance records again, organizers of one of the most popular river floats in the U.S.—the annual Tour de Coal—are opening registration early for paddlers who wish to participate in the June 15 event on the lower Coal River. More than 1,600 paddlers joined in 2018, according to Bill Curry, president of Coal … Read more