The Gauley River is recognized as one of the top ranked whitewater rivers in the world. It is 105 miles long and features over 100 rapids. The Gauley is a dam controlled watershed and scheduled fall release dates offer amazing flows for rafting. It travels through stunning wilderness scenery including canyon cliffs, waterfalls and lush foliage. This section has several class III rapids and a few that are class IV. The most difficult rapids in the run are the Woods Ferry Rapid and the Backender Rapid.