Gauley Tailwaters River Access
About
Gauley Tailwaters River Access is a hand launch for canoes and kayaks in Gauley River National Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service. It sits about 5.6 miles from Summersville, West Virginia. This is a put-in where paddlers carry their boats to the water rather than backing a trailer down a ramp. It suits canoes, kayaks and other craft light enough to launch by hand. Summer brings the warmest paddling weather. Typical averages from the nearby Summersville Lake weather station reach about 78°F in June and 81°F in July. September stays mild at around 75°F. Summersville Lake Shelters is half a mile away and Battle Run is about 1.2 miles off, both handy for camping. Gauley Crag draws climbers about a mile from the launch, and anglers can fish the Gauley River roughly 2.4 miles away.
Launch Details
Managed by
National Park Service
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–81°F and lows of 38–61°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Summersville Lake, WV weather station, 0.4 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan41° high21° low
- Feb44° high23° low
- Mar52° high29° low
- Apr65° high38° low
- May72° high48° low
- Jun78° high57° low
- Jul81° high61° low
- Aug80° high59° low
- Sep75° high53° low
- Oct65° high41° low
- Nov54° high32° low
- Dec45° high26° low
Where it is
- Gauley River National Recreation Area · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Summersville, West Virginia · 5.6 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- Summersville Lake SheltersCamping0.5 mi
- Gauley CragRock climbing1 mi
- Battle RunCamping1.2 mi
- Long PointRock climbing1.9 mi
- Lost WorldRock climbing2.1 mi
- Gauley RiverRiver fishing2.4 mi
- Access Trail - to Pillow RockHiking2.8 mi
- Old Ferry Road TrailHiking2.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
