Posts Tagged ‘New River’

All About Ansted

Friday, January 6th, 2012

If you’re traveling from Charleston east on Route 60 (the Scenic Midland Trail National Byway), the first community you come when you reach the plateau is the town of Ansted.  Located almost on the rim of the New River Gorge, this town is an interesting little community with a lot of history.

A Little History

The Overlook at Hawks Nest State Park

The first settlers in this area were a group of Baptist “squatters” in 1790,  but the town wasn’t established until around 1891. It was named after British geologist Dr. David T. Ansted, who mapped out the coal seams in the surrounding area and owned all the land that is now the town.

Ansted also played a role in the Civil War; both Union and Confederate armies concentrated their efforts on the area in the early 1860′s.

The expansion of the railroad in the early 1870′s helped Ansted flourish by allowing the transport of this area’s coal and timber resources. The narrow gauge railroad coming from the mainline was in use until 1972.

Ansted Today

With a good small business environment and a great location for anything outdoor recreation-related, Ansted has a lot to offer its residents and visitors. Here are just a few of the activities that can be done near town.

  • Whitewater rafting
  • Hiking
  • Biking
  • Zip Lines
  • Rock Climbing
  • Hunting
  • Fishing
  • Jet Boat rides
  • Boating

Hawks Nest State Park is located just inside of town limits, boasting a wonderful lodge and restaurant on the rim of the Gorge. A tram will take you down to the river, where you can catch a ride on the New with New River Jetboats. The river is dammed up just below the park area, creating a 250 acre lake that provides many opportunities for recreation.

Ansted a great vacation spot for anyone who likes small town life and enjoys outdoor recreation.  Have you visited Ansted?

 

 

 

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in History, Things to Do | No Comments »

Southern West Virginia Rivers

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

Southern WV Rivers

When you think of rivers in southern West Virginia, the New and Gauley probably come to mind.  These rivers have been favorite vacation destinations for the past 25 years. Every year over 100,000 people visit the Gorge area and raft the New and the Gauley, and because of this, many other tourism activities have become part of our landscape.

But although the New and the Gauley get much of the attention, many other rivers here offer recreation opportunities. From hiking and biking trails to scenic floats and fishing, don’t miss these other West Virginia rivers.

The Greenbrier River

Don’t Miss These Rivers

The Greenbrier and Bluestone Rivers are both tributaries of the New River and offer many similar activities as the New. The Greenbrier is probably best known for the 78 mile rail trail that follows it from Caldwell to Cass.

The Bluestone River dumps into Bluestone Lake above the Bluestone Dam in Hinton. Both rivers have great fishing, camping and hunting, as well as other recreational activities.

The Meadow, Cherry, Cranberry and Williams rivers are all tributaries of the Gauley. The last three have some of the best trout fishing in the state and are all in the Monongahela National Forest.  That means that there is plenty of camping and hiking available.

The Meadow is the only one of this bunch that flows into the Gauley below Summersville Dam. It has arguably the most difficult whitewater in the state over its last five miles before joining the Gauley.

The Birch River is a tributary of the Elk, which is a tributary of the Kanawha. Both the Birch and Elk can be floated in various types of watercraft and offer exceptional fishing.

The Kanawha is the river that is formed when the New and Gauley Rivers come together. Within its first mile, the Kanawha has a magnificent set of falls and then is flat for the rest of its journey to the Ohio. It’s a great choice for boating and fishing.

The Coal River is also a tributary of the Kanawha River and offers scenic paddling opportunities for beginners.

The Tug, Guyandotte and Mud Rivers all flow into the Ohio River. Although they are rivers that empty mostly on the western side of WV, they all have headwaters in the very southern part of the state. These rivers flow through some of West Virginia’s steepest and roughest country. The Mud River is known to be one of the best waters for muskellunge in the state.

So don’t think that the New and the Gauley Rivers are the only rivers to visit in Southern WV. Hey, if you do decide to visit these other streams, you may find you have them pretty much all to yourself.

Have you been on or around any of Southern WV’s other rivers?

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Geology, Things to Do | No Comments »

Tips For Spring Fishing in the New River Gorge

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

Spring fishing season in the New River Gorge and Southern West Virginia is well underway. With warmer weather comes the desire to take advantage of the many fishing opportunities that abound in our region. Trout streams are being stocked, lakes are recovering from the winter draw down, and water temperatures are rising.

Area streams such as Laurel Creek, Dunloup Creek and Mill Creek offer great opportunities for trout fishing. Boley Lake at Babcock State Park is another favorite; it’s also very scenic.  I’m not a big trout fisherman but generally try to go a few times in the spring to get outside with my sons and explore the mountainsides.

There's good fishing here

One of my favorite spring trips is fishing at Fayette Station. I like to fish below the rapids for smallmouth bass.  Normally I can hook into a few 2-4 lb. class smallmouth at this time of year. Using crankbaits and small weighted jigs, I fish the eddies from the bank during the afternoon hours.  Usually a few fish have moved up from deeper water to soak up the warmth of the sun.

The absolute coolest way to fish the New River is by raft on a float trip. Not only do you catch a ton of fish, but the scenery is awesome. I try to go each year in May with one of the local outfitters.

New River fishing will only get better as temperatures continue to rise. Bass fishing opportunities on the New River can be found along many of its public access points.  Also check out Plum Orchard Lake for largemouth bass and Summersville Lake for both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Do you have any other spring fishing tips?

–
Richard Meadows
Quality Inn New River Gorge

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Things to Do | No Comments »

The Secret To Paddling The New River

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

If you come to the New River Gorge for a visit, it’s a good bet that you’ll want to see the river. And by “see”, we mean “do”, of course. More specifically, “paddle”.

Paddling the river has some prerequisites. The place you’ll be going is, after all, a national park, and you’ll need to be ready. And there’s the secret.

If you take just a little time to plan your day on the river, you’ll be so much happier. Trust us on this. A little preparedness goes a long way. It’s worth going over a few things before your trip, just to make sure you’re covering all the bases.

Here things to check off your list before heading to the river:

Know Your Outfitter There are lots of raft companies in the gorge, and each one has a different personality. Look through our links, and go over several before deciding on one. Many offer additional activities to add after your trip is done.

Get Your Timing Down Did you know that you could avoid crowds on the river even on the busiest day of the year? Timing is hugely important when it comes to booking your trip. Go for the earliest or latest trips of the day if you want the river to yourself. Book mid-morning if you want a lot of people around for atmosphere.

Understand The Sections Each outfitter can walk you through this, but there are basically four sections of river around the gorge. In ascending order of difficulty, they are: Upper New, Lower New, Lower Gauley, Upper Gauley. Remember, the point is always to have fun- pick the section that’s appropriate for your group.

Come Early, Stay Late The one guaranteed way to destroy a white water vacation is to rush things. Everyone’s time is short, so it’s understandable; it’s just unfortunate. The way to enjoy the river is to take your time and relax. Come a day early and stay the day after. Once you get here, you’ll be on river time.

Take It All In Rafting is best enjoyed loudly. If you yell, scream, and have fun, you’re doing it right. Do everything you have the chance to do- swim, surf, explore. Get the video, buy the T-shirt. There’s a lot to experience down on the river; make sure you get all of it.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Things to Do | No Comments »