Big Sandy
From Wikipaddle
The month of April is creeking paradise in West Virginia. With weather one day below freezing and the next 70 degrees, every third day is rainy, and every river and creek is flowing.
The Lower Big Sandy, in the Northern Part of West Virginia, near Morgantown, is a favorite of paddlers. It includes two waterfalls, 18' ft high Wonder Falls, and another 15' falls, with a tricky lead-in, called Big Splat. Other rapids are called Zoom Flume, Little Splat, First Island Rapid, and Second Island Rapid. The entire river would be class III - IV except for the class V Big Splat, which can be scouted and carried on River Left. There is also a carry down River Right, where the rafters have left a couple of ropes to help with the climb down.
There is a gauge that can be read at water level on the bridge at the put-in in Rockville. Minimum level is about 5.2' on the bridge gauge and the Maximum Suggested level is some where around 7'.
Paddling this river, as with any creek, boaters must be on the look-out for trees and hazardous wood blocking the way. Every year new branches are seen and old branches have shifted.
| Rockville to Cheat Confluence at Jenkinsburg | |
| Grade | III-IV (V) |
| Distance | ~6 mi./ 10k |
| Time | 3 - 4 hours |
| Location | |
| Country | USA |
| Region | West Virginia |
External Links
Location Map
From Google
