LIMESTONE
DRIFT
KENTUCKY WATER, TOLD STRAIGHT
FIELD CARD
New River Gorge · No. 24-2
NPS / WVDNR · Raleigh & Fayette counties, WV · Grandview, Prince, Thurmond
Middle River
WVDNR’s float legs run 3.25, 5.5, 4.4 and 2.1 miles, and Thurmond is where the Park Service’s Class I–III water ends.
THE MIDDLE-RIVER CORRIDOR
Schematic · NPS and USGS published points
Three things to get right
| What you hear | What the agencies actually say |
|---|---|
| “It’s all catch-and-release down here.” | Only to the Grandview Sandbar. WVDNR 2026: the 12-mile section runs “from the I-64 bridge at Sandstone downstream to NPS Grandview Sandbar access site near Quinnimont.” |
| “Thurmond has a proper ramp.” | The NPS GIS layer names a “Dun Glen River Launch”; no page we read gives its ramp type. Route 25 in is “narrow” for seven miles; “The railroad line is active. Keep off the tracks.” |
| “Below Thurmond is more of the same.” | No. NPS: Hinton to Thurmond “consists primarily of long pools and moderate rapids”; the Lower Gorge below is “Class III to Class V,” “suitable only for advanced and expert paddlers.” |
The agencies’ own access words, verbatim
NPS Finding Your Way (8 Sep 2025): “Just before the bridge that crosses the New River
is a gravel road that leads to Glade Creek. Known as the Royal Road ... Five miles further down is
Glade Creek with a small campground, river access, and trailhead.” “One mile down is
Grandview Sandbar with picnicking, camping, and river access.” “McCreery offers a
close-up view of the New River.” WVDNR float table footnote: “Only experienced
boaters should attempt to float the New River. Portaging some areas will be necessary.”
Thurmond is the last ordinary take-out
Below it the NPS describes rapids that “necessitate maneuvering in very powerful currents, crosscurrents, and hydraulics” and “hazardous undercut rocks.” No agency publishes a safe flow for a kayak on any section.