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Appalachian Wildwaters |
800-624-8060 |
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Laurel Highlands River Tours |
800-472-3846 |
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Mountain Streams & Trails Outfitters |
800-723-8669 |
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| Section |
Arden
to Cove Run (Arden) |
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Location |
Barbour
County, near Tygart Lake State Park, northern West Virginia |
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Driving Time |
Charleston—2.5
hours; Pittsburgh—2.5 hours |
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Difficulty |
Class
III-IV, V |
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Trip Length |
8
miles (13-km) |
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Trip Options |
Paddle
raft; inflatable kayak; one-day |
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Season |
April-October |
Whitewater enthusiasts
seeking an alternative to some of the well-known mid-Atlantic rivers
should find the Tygart an exciting surprise.
Whitewater
thrills on the Arden section, the Tygart’s most popular commercial
raft trip, begin almost immediately below the Arden Bridge put-in.
For nearly 8 miles (13 km), the river drops quickly through some
twenty-five major rapids on its journey to Tygart Lake.
 Many
of the Tygart’s Class III-V rapids are 4- to 5-foot drops. The
final rapid, unforgettable Wells Falls, is considered the Tygart’s
best. Rafters must negotiate a blind turn and crash through several
large hydraulics before reaching the placid waters of Tygart Lake.
Not all of Tygart’s rapids are runnable: 18-foot "Class
VII" Moats Falls must be portaged.
Although the river’s Arden section above Tygart Lake is not
dam controlled, adequate water levels for rafting are usually
available for the entire season. At lower water levels, outfitters
use inflatable kayaks or switch raft trips to the Valley Falls
section below Grafton Dam. During the early spring or when water
levels are too high to run the Arden section, outfitters run trips
on the Class IV-V Tygart Gorge.
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