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Adventures for Gauley River hikers don�t end at Laurel Creek Falls. Much more excitement lies ahead. Continuing 0.2 miles down the road takes you to the shores of the Gauley River and an abandoned railroad grade running along its banks. The Laurel Creek road provides access to the Gauley River for whitewater rafters. There�s ample parking at the base of the road and a large set of stairs for rafters and their rafts to reach the shores of the Gauley.  Peters Creek Falls The Tunnel The Tunnel The abandoned road bed is a remnant of a twenty-eight mile stretch of railway built by the NF&G (Nicholas, Fayette and Greenbrier Railroad Company) in 1929 to 1931 to connect the towns of Swiss and Nallen. Hiking this old railroad bed is an easy way to explore and appreciate many miles of the Gauley River. Two tunnels were built for this railroad�one about a mile upstream from Carnifex Ferry near the Confluence Resort, and the other is less than half a mile from the parking area at Laurel Cr...

If you�re up for walking a perfectly straight line in nearly perfect darkness for 2/3 of a mile, if you�re ready to walk across the Gauley River from 60 feet above its surface, if you�re able to scramble down to a little known waterfall with a good 40 foot-drop, then you�re ready for some adventures on the Gauley that don�t require a raft. Gauley River at Laurel Creek Let�s start with Laurel Creek falls. But first, a word of advice. I would not take the family sedan on this safari. Though the base is firm, the gravel road to the Gauley River has some mud holes, rocky high spots, and is very steep at the end. An SUV or four-wheel drive truck is much better suited for this road. To find Laurel Creek Falls, from the intersection of US 19 and US 60, take US 60 4.6 miles west to Saturday Road (GPS: Lat. 38.12846, Long. -81.07408). From Hawks Nest Lodge, go east on US 60 for 3.25 miles. Saturday Road is a paved road that weaves through some lovely pastures and forests. After 6.4 miles, take ...