Gauley Fest - September 13-16, 2018 - Summersville, WV

Get your groove on baby, it's a 60's themed event! Started in 1983 to celebrate the derailment of a hydro-electric project that would have disrupted the flows on the Gauley River, Gauley Fest has grown to become the largest paddling festival in the world. Gauley Fest is also our major education and outreach event and your support feeds our national river stewardship efforts. Put September 13-16 in your calendar and join us in West Virginia.

For this year, 2018, American Whitewater is taking advantage of this year's festival to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. To memorialize that historic event we are flashing back to another era for a 60's themed event. Just a heads up if you want to join the fun - go to your local thrift store, or the back of your parents closet, and bring 60's era themed clothing or accessories. It will be groovy baby! Far out.

The 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act marks an incredible opportunity to build support and engagement around the need to grow our one-of-a-kind system of protecting outstanding rivers. In keeping with the theme that the best defense is a good offense, American Whitewater is currently working to designate new rivers for protection under the Act. We are the co-architect of several Wild and Scenic River bills that are moving through Congress or in the works that would protect some of our nation's most spectacular headwaters.

For paddlers of the Gauley River, the rangers of the Gauley River National Recreation Area have shared an open letter with the boating community outlining what to expect on the Gauley this season.

There are still booth spaces available for those last minute planners. Sign up for space is posted here.