The first reasonable take-out is at Bowden, on river right by the Faulkner Rd. Or, for added mileage and the option of a campsite at the put-in, drive upstream along FS 233 and find just the right spot. I’ve asked once, and was granted permission (30). A more secure option is about a mile upstream of Cheat Bridge at the luxurious Cheat Mountain Club on FS 236, and a gracious call to them may get you a protected parking spot and a very easy launch site. There is free, legal parking at the bridge itself (FS 250/4) where the Cheat Salamander tourist train has a small shelter and lot. The best overnighters on the Shavers Fork begin in the vicinity of Cheat Bridge. Road access to Bemis is very long (though paved) but all other access points are along primary roads. The following sections and rough mileage should help facilitate a trip as short as two days. There are many options for a multi-day trip on the Shavers Fork. No permits are required for river users, just jump on in and leave no trace.
Much of the Shavers Fork is in Monongahela National Forest, which is managed by the US Forest Service ( ). Below the typical Cheat River take out at Jenkinsburg are a few miles of big water class III whitewater followed by a one hour paddle by kayak across the Cheat Lake backflow to public access and parking at the Ices Ferry bridge. The Narrows is roadside with no real camping options, but stick it out to the canyon for superb sandy beach camping. You can extend your trip onto the Cheat River but it involves a considerable amount of flatwater on the Cheat River Water Trail ( ) before Rowlesburg in order to get to the well-known Narrows (II/III) and Canyon (III/IV) sections. Shavers Fork of the Cheat, West Virginia. Below Stuart, the river is generally flat for about 20 more miles with intermittent class II waves all the way to Parsons, where it joins the Black Fork to form the Cheat River.
The whitewater continues for a few miles past Bemis and then the river gradually mellows over about 5 miles from class II to class I through to Stuart Recreation Area.
The river enters a narrow canyon about two miles upstream of a 15-foot waterfall called High Falls of the Cheat, and boaters will be thrilled by an 8 mile section of continuous technical class III/IV whitewater with three scout-worthy drops before arriving at the small village of Bemis. However, for those interested in a multi-day adventure, easy road access to the Shavers Fork at Cheat Bridge, Bowden, Stuart Recreation Area, and Parsons makes for simple shuttle logistics.įrom Cheat Bridge, the Shavers Fork builds from easy class I to class III in the first 20 miles or so. The Shavers Forkĭay trips on sections of the Shavers Fork require long shuttles on rough roads and so it is rare to find other boaters anywhere along the run, even among those who live in the vicinity. Multi-day trips on the Shavers Fork can range from a 32 mile trip that includes the best whitewater to a tour of the entire river canyon and the Cheat River below it stretching nearly 150 miles. The Shavers Fork is the longest and most remote of the forks that feed West Virginia’s classic Cheat River and the highest large stream east of the Rocky Mountains. Season: Rain dependent, most likely Feb-May
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