New & Gauley River Adventures — Local services in Fayetteville

This was our second time going with New & Gauley River Adventures, and once again, it was an amazing experience that I can’t recommend enough!

The Guides: Bean is a Must! Bean is absolutely 100% worth the request. He’s definitely one of the more experienced guides on the river. He understands the people in his raft so well, constantly checks in, and makes sure everyone feels safe and comfortable. Even while serving as the lead guide for the day, he still managed to keep our group safe while giving us all the adrenaline rush we were looking for. We did some crazy things that made for unforgettable memories, and he had us laughing the entire time. Bean loves trying fun and new things on the river, which makes every trip unique. He’s a huge reason we plan to come back!

Booking & Staff Carrie, who handles scheduling the guides, did an awesome job coordinating everything—especially helping us secure Bean as our guide again this year. Peggy, who I believe is the owner or part-owner, was also fantastic. She answered the majority of my phone calls, was incredibly patient, and made sure I had every piece of information I needed (even when I had lots of questions). She does an amazing job running things and making customers feel valued.

The Trip Experience We booked the full-day rafting trip with lunch. Start Time: 9:30 AM Lunch: Around 11:30/12 Lunch Spread: Make-your-own deli sandwiches, pasta salad, brownies, PB&Js, water, and chips. Simple but good and refreshing! We also got to cliff jump, which was a blast! I thought the rock would be much higher and scarier, but it wasn’t bad at all. We all had so much fun, even though we only got to jump once (probably because there were other tour groups there). Last year when we went in August, the water was too low to jump, but this year in July the water levels were higher—totally worth going earlier in the season!

Photos & Memories For the full-day trip, they took photos at two different sites plus two group shots at the start. Cost: $65 for a USB flash drive Photos Received: Around 80 photos Quality: Amazing! They captured us completely submerged in water, screaming, smiling, laughing—every emotion. Totally worth it, and we were able to upload them to OneDrive and share them easily with friends and family.

Pro Tip: Bring a Waterproof Phone Case! A tip for future rafters: I bought a waterproof phone case on Amazon that came with a strap. I kept it safely zipped in my pockets while rafting (do NOT leave it loose), and it was totally worth it. I didn’t have my phone last year, and I’m so glad I did this time. It allowed me to take extra photos and videos when we stopped to swim or explore the river, capturing even more memories with my friends.

Why We’ll Always Choose New & Gauley We highly recommend New & Gauley River Adventures over the bigger, more commercial rafting companies. It’s a smaller operation that feels much more personal and caring. The staff and guides are high-energy, personable, and genuinely invested in giving you the best experience. Other companies had huge tour groups and tons of boats on the river, making it feel rushed and crowded. Meanwhile, our experience with New & Gauley felt relaxed and tailored to us. It’s also more affordable, making it an incredible value for the amazing memories you get in return.

Overall, New & Gauley River Adventures is a hidden gem for white water rafting. From incredible guides like Bean, to thoughtful staff like Carrie and Peggy, to unforgettable thrills on the river—it’s hands-down our favorite rafting company. We’re already looking forward to...

Lindsay and Brandon were so much fun as our guides on the intermediate level run down the lower Gauley River, September 23, 2024. So glad they were both in with us. When I heard there were 4, class 5 rapids, I was thinking... oh $#!T! My mind 🤔 went into overdrive. We are a mixed bag of 5 acquaintances ages 44 to 67. The youngest is my boss&friend, I'm the senior senior, another is my younger sister and then her 2 classmates. 4 of us recently lost our mothers in 2024. My sister Kim weak swimmer, my boss friend Bre, has a cottage probably a safe swimmer, and then there's Jamie who can dog paddle swim. Oh $#!T again! Paramedic Barb with 2 mechanical knees, front right. I'm front left with 52 year old expired Life Guard Certificate from when I was 15. 😵‍💫😁 WE are in for the ride of our lives! It was a picture of my parents in their 50's on the New River that inspired this trip. They had also run a part of the Colorado River in their 60's with me, my 14 year old daughter and her best friend. Brandon shared some, I think they would call them 'Dad' jokes...? and a lot of interesting information about the land and history of the area we were in, on and off, of the river. He wears a 'hey dude' disguise until he gets on the river. Lindsay has led an interesting life also for being only 24, she's an old soul, who is now, living her best life. She shared some of her experiences of her solo hiking trail travels, camping miles out in the woods. I was envious and terrified for her all at the same time. The folklore and myths of the region that were shared, inspired me to buy 5 (or was it 6?) books on my way home, to learn more. My wish for them; I hope neither of them ever settle...

Really regret booking with this company. Absolutely terrible. Do not support them. They were rude and liars. We were taken in by the great reviews but should have been warned when the person i booked with on the phone was rude already. Okay, fine, whatever.. It was a freezing torrential downpour on the day of our booking. We asked to reschedule, they said nope. After talking they finally said we can if we play a $120!! Rebooking fee. Why? They said they have already packed our lunches. Oh no.. My $2 sandwich from the grocery store will go to waste.. They also claimed they had sent 100 people down the river already that day, but later the guides told us we were the only boats out. Speaking of guides, our guide told us he was paid so little that he had to spend half a years salary on a wetsuit. Once we were on the water, we discovered another lie.. They said water time was 4 to 5 hrs, we were only on the river for 1.5 hrs. In the middle we pulled over to eat some soggy sandwiches.. Poor planning, we should have been given lunch later in the office where it was dry. Finally we got on shore and waited 30 minutes for the bus to arrive in the rain. The river itself was fun and the guides were nice but the company did what it could to ruin the experience. We googled Ace rafting which has cheaper prices and a better cancelation policy, and I'm sure there are others too. Don't make the same...