The Cheat River in West Virginia celebrates a long and storied history as a whitewater playground for the those brave enough to paddle its rapids. First explored in the 1950s, the Cheat Canyon is a classic whitewater run and was once considered the Hallmark of all east coast rivers for rafters and kayakers alike.
As whitewater rafting and paddling increased in popularity over the last several decades, thus opening up the various other rivers in the surrounding areas to recreational purposes, the boating traffic on the Cheat has declined steadily. The remote character, surrounding vegetation, and steep cliffs make the Cheat River a n[/link]atural beauty that is sure to delight the whitewater and nature enthusiast alike.
The Cheat River Canyon Paddling Information:
- Section: Albright to Jenkinsburg (West Virginia)
- Trip Length: 9 - 10 miles
- Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
- Classification: Class III, Class IV, & Class V
- Gauge: Albright Bridge: Paddlers follow this gauge although it is not reported.
- The Albright Power Station Gauge is reported.
- The conversion between the two is: Alb. Bridge = (1.55 * Alb. PS) + 0.5
- Levels: 1 foot to 5.5 feet
- Shuttle: Glen Miller 304-379-3404
Shuttle Information:
- Put-In: From I-68, head south on Route 26 for about 10 miles. The bridge in Albright where Route 26 crosses the cheat river is one possible put-in but involve more flatwater paddling. Others are located through the campgrounds along the river. Land owned by Friends of the Cheat can be used for boater access and is located through Teeter’s campground.
- Take-Out: The take-out is not only complicated and long to get to but its final stretch is down a rather treacherous road. It is located at the Jenkinsburg bridge. Your best bet is to go with others who know the way or to call Glen Miller (above) to give you a ride back.
River Description:
The Cheat Canyon is not for the faint of heart rafter of the inexperienced kayaker. This stretch of the Cheat features over 30 notable rapids rated at least Class III not to mention the several Class IV and Class V rapids scattered throughout the river. The river has changed drastically as a result of the 1985 November flood that the locals remember well.
With so much whitewater packed into this 10 mile stretch of the canyon, it would be impractical to give detailed descriptions of the rapids. Even if a boater could remember all of the directions and moves along the river it would be nearly impossible for a paddler to be able to identify the many similar rapids being featured on the Cheat. On a positive note, most of the rapids are easily scouted and even portaged if you choose. If you were to scout all of the rapids on the river, you likely would not finish in one day.
That being said, I won’t attempt to give a detailed description of the lines or moves that rafts or kayaks should take through the rapids but I will list some notable features so that you will be familiar with their names and possible dangers. Anyone seeking to kayak or canoe The Cheat Canyon for the first time should only do so with other boaters who are familiar with the river. Whitewater rafting enthusiasts should go as part of a guided trip.
- Decision Rapid (Class III): The only reason I mention this rapid is because, like the name suggests, if Decision is too much for you, this is your chance to get out. It is located at the beginning of the canyon, between 1 and 2 miles from Albright, depending on where you put-in. This rapid is indicative of many of the other smaller rapids on the Cheat only it is easier in nature. Once you enter the canyon you are pretty well committed to paddling the river to completion as trying to climb out would be more treacherous than finishing the day by water.
- Big Nasty (Class IV-V): About 1.5 miles past Decision Rapid, and only a half mile after Beech Run (Class III-IV) you will come to Big Nasty. The river necks down here forcing all of the water into the hole. At low levels, Big Nasty is a great place to surf and practice your latest moves or watch others do so. At higher levels, you don’t want to be anywhere near this hole. Of course it is hard to miss as the approach features diagonal waves trying to keep you from your intended line of skirting it on the left.
- Even Nastier (Class IV-V): This long rapid features a waves, dangerous eddies, boulders, and holes.
- The Doldrums(Class III): This covers the entire middle section of the canyon. You’ll come Prudential Rock, various small features, waves to play on, and smaller rapids. A rapid known as Cue Ball (Class III) ends the quiet time and marks the beginning of the last third of the river, the wildest part.
- The Toughest Part of the River(Class IV-V): I have lumped this final section all into one. It features rapid after rapid in a progression that gets more and more awesome and leaves an indellible mark on all those rafting or paddling the Cheat Canyon in West Virginia.
Some of the names you’ll hear ( in order on the river) are Anticipation, High Falls, Maze Rapid, Upper Coliseum, Recyclotron, Lower Coliseum and Pete Morgan Rapid among others. Again, your best bet for a successful run through this section is to be with people who are well familiar with the Cheat. Upper Coliseum and High Falls can be scouted from the right while Lower Coliseum/Pete Morgan Rapid are scouted from the left.
Note:
As I made mention of above, the shear quantity of rapids in the Cheat Canyon, the complexity of each rapid, and the way this river changes with its flow makes it prohibitive for me to write a detailed description of each rapid. Having read many guide books on the Cheat and then kayaking it multiple times, I find it hard to understand where and how many of the writers have gotten their descriptions. It has been my experience that trying to remember descriptions for rivers featuring this many rapids (30+) can actually be more of a detriment to whitewater paddlers than a help as it often leads to faulty impressions or misunderstandings of the rapids. It is for this reason that I suggest this river be paddled with people who know it well and to scout the big rapids as you recognize them.
