LIMESTONE
DRIFT
KENTUCKY WATER, TOLD STRAIGHT
FIELD CARD
New River Gorge · No. 24-3
NPS / WVDNR · Fayette County, WV · Cunard and Fayette Station
The Gorge
Two bank-and-launch points on the Class III–V Lower Gorge. This card describes no float.
THE GORGE CORRIDOR
Schematic · NPS facility points near each access
Three things to get right
| What you hear | What the agencies actually say |
|---|---|
| “Cunard is open year-round.” | Closed November through March. NPS (24 Sep 2026): the road closes “from just past the parking lot for the Brooklyn Mine Trail” down “to the river access at Cunard”; April to October one lane with a temporary light; “Road repairs will be ongoing through 2027.” |
| “Fish it from a kayak like the upper river.” | The NPS grades this reach Class III to V, “suitable only for advanced and expert paddlers,” with “hazardous undercut rocks.” |
| “There’s a take-out below Fayette Station.” | NPS (8 Sep 2020): “no easy takeout point downstream of Fayette Station” for “watercraft of any kind.” Below that is Hawks Nest Lake, outside the park. |
The agencies’ own access words, verbatim
Cunard (NPS Kaymoor Trail page, 3 Feb 2023): “From US 19, follow Route 16 south
through the town of Fayetteville. Take a left on Gatewood Road (sign indicates Kaymoor and Cunard).
Follow Gatewood Road for 4.6 miles and turn left at the sign for Cunard. Go 1.8 miles and turn left
at both of the signs indicating Cunard River Access Road.” Fayette Station (Finding
Your Way): “The 7.5 mile drive begins from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center ... A parking area
affords views of Fayette Station Rapid.”
The park’s water-safety page, in its words
“There are drop-offs, strong currents, and hydraulics (undertows) all along the New River.” “Most drownings in the New River involve people who didn’t plan on being in the water.” “Accidents often happen to anglers, waders, and ‘rock-hoppers.’” Wear the life jacket on the bank too.