View of the New River Gorge Bridge.
Considering that West Virginia is one of our closest neighbors, it’s amazing that we haven’t done any sort of traveling there. We just discovered that this has been a huge mistake because Adventures on the Gorge is in West Virginia.
And Adventures on the Gorge is amazing.
Tom is a huge fan of cabins in the woods so, when we were invited to this location and he saw they had cabins in the woods, it was a given that we would go there.
I’m absolutely fine with cabins in the woods as long as they are air-conditioned, have a nice television and Wi-Fi, and a comfortable bed. Luckily, the cabins at Adventures on the Gorge have all that and more.
Adventures on the Gorge is located in the amazingly beautiful New River Gorge in the Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia, which is part of the New River Gorge National River. Designated part of the United States National Park Service in 1978, the area sprawls for 53 miles along the New River and includes some of the most prime white water rafting territory in the United States. The river flows north through deep, scenic canyons and is one of the oldest rivers on the continent. With over 70,000 acres of land, the park is also popular for world-class rock climbing, hiking, zip lining, a bridge walk above the river, and plenty of other water sports in addition to white water rafting.
Adventures on the Gorge as a resort providing a variety of experiences in an idyllic and relaxing atmosphere which includes a variety of accommodations and great restaurants, has evolved over the years. Mountain River Tours began in 1969 and was the second commercial raft company in West Virginia to offer whitewater rafting on the river. In 1977, River Runners was set up the same site where Adventures on the Gorge now perches and in 1978, Songer Whitewater began. In 1980, Rivermen followed their lead and also set up a whitewater rafting company.
But in 2007, whitewater rafting was not as popular as it had been and it became obvious that, in order to survive and prosper, the four companies would need to make some changes. Getting past their naturally competitive natures, they formed a partnership to create a one of kind resort destination where travelers from beginners to hard-core adventures could enjoy the gorge and everything it had to offer. They needed a place where their guests could run the river and then return to luxurious lodging, great food, and surprisingly luxurious amenities. And so Adventures on the Gorge was born and has been gradually growing, changing, and developing into the amazing destination we visited.
This is not your average vacation or even your average resort; rather, it’s a completely unique adventure resort – and we loved every minute.
The first thing we loved was our quite fabulous and luxurious cabin. The resort has an amazing array of lodging options from basic camp sites all the way to large and luxurious rental homes. We were in one of the brand new cabins called the Sunnyside Suites which could not have been more comfortable. Pristine and beautifully decorated, they are actually a duplex with a bedroom, small kitchen, and bathroom on each side.
Our home away from home.
Not only were the cabins conveniently located within an easy walk of the restaurants, pool, and other activities, they had some of the best Wi-Fi we have ever had when traveling. We were actually able to stream videos which is practically unheard of during our trips. Just an example of how top of the line everything at this resort is.
Inside our cabin. Photo courtesy of Adventures on the Gorge.
The resort offers an astonishing number of activities to keep everyone busy and entertained from the smallest kid in your group to the oldest adult. The lovely Canyon Falls Pool with an incredible view of the gorge is a great place for all ages to relax.
Beautiful pool area.
But if lolling around by the pool is not your idea of fun, Adventures on the Gorge has you covered. We managed to cram several activities into our short visit and wish we could have lingered for more. I have mentioned our crazy, terrifying, and exhilarating whitewater rafting experience but it truly was an adventure we will never forget.
Whitewater rafting is the origin story of how the resort really got its start and they really know how to make it an experience. We spent a large part of the day braving the rapids, having lunch, then braving some more before “swimming” (a nice way of saying we were dumped in the river), climbing back in the raft, and braving more rapids. It was amazing and everyone who visits should try it once. They have much shorter trips and some that are easier for family groups or kids.
Yes, it was just as crazy as it looks. You will notice that Tom (on the left) is not as nicely synchronized as me (in yellow on the left.). This did not help when we flew into the river, however.
I am not a fan of heights so zip lining was not something I even considered but Tom was game to try it for the first time. He did the Treetops Zipline Canopy Tour and loved every minute. There are several zip lining experiences and they even have aerial obstacle courses which look like they would be fun – and not too far off the ground!
Yep, that’s way, way above my comfort level.
He also did the Bridge Walk on a cat-walk which runs under the world-famous New River Gorge Bridge for which I begged off but wish I had done it after seeing how safe it was. You are completely hooked up and walk on a wide, metal walk. Next time.
Getting ready for the bridge walk.
View from the Bridge Walk.
My favorite day was actually the one where we geared down and just spent time at Summersville Lake. Relaxing on a pontoon boat, we were able to do everything from rock climbing (not me, obviously), paddle boarding, swimming, and kayaking.
Rock climbing.
Paddle boarding.
Cannonball!
I love kayaking, it’s something I am good at, and the lake was the perfect, quiet place for it.
How perfect is that?
We loved everything about our visit but truly one of the nicest and most surprising amenities was the food. The resort has three restaurants each of which offers great, friendly service, fabulous views, and really good food. Most of the meals are buffet-style or casual dining like pizzas which makes sense when you consider that everyone is participating in such active events and is starving! However, they also can provide some pretty darn fancy meals as well, which is nice since they also do weddings.
Wowed by a special dinner at Smokey’s our last night, we began thinking about just how soon we could return to eat there again. Specialty drinks were available and we certainly enjoyed them.
Great start for any meal.
Appetizers. Man, the appetizers.
Hmmm…will we have room for dinner?
Stuffed tomatoes…yum.
Scallops…that jalapeno tells you how spicy they were!
Steak + crab cake = heaven.
Aaaaand…cake.
There is really only one thing to do after a dinner like that.
Sit, watch the sunset, and let it digest.
Perfect place to watch the sunset.
Perfect end to a perfect day at Adventures on the Gorge.
This resort is truly the perfect place for any size group and has activities that will keep everyone busy and happy. Amazing activities, fabulous lodging, great food – what more can you ask for?
Start planning now.
Full disclosure: Our visit was provided by Adventures on the Gorge , but as always, I will share my honest opinion about any travel experiences I have.
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