A. Laurel Fork to
Audra State Park 5.0 miles
Class Grad Size
(Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
III 26/40 Small A/B 3.5-6.0
Audra State Park
Topographic Maps: Ellamore
(WVa), Audra (WVa)
County Maps: Upshur (WVa), Barbour (WVa)
Description: This is a great option if you want an easier trip while others run the Class IV-V Middle Fork. This starts as a beautiful, flat stream in a narrow, isolated valley with a few riverside cottages. The river gradually builds in difficulty from Class I to Class III. Take out above the bridge in Audra State Park. Below here the difficulty increases significantly. See Davidson, Eister, and Davidson's Wild Water West Virginia for details. [Reported 1988]
B. Audra State Park 6.0 miles
to junction with Tygart River
B. Audra State Park to Tygart River
Class Grad Size (Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
IV 65/120 Small A/A 3.5-5.0
Audra State Park
Topographic Maps: Audra (WVa)
County Maps: Upshur (WVa), Barbour (WVa)
Description The Middle Fork is an exciting, continuous, technical challenge which contrasts sharply with the drops and pools of the heavier, pushy Tygart Gorge. Only the first 2.5 miles of this run are actually on the Middle Fork, which joins the Tygart in the midst of the Gorge. There is no access here, so boaters must paddle to the mouth of the Buckhannon. Most boaters enter the Gorge by way of the Middle Fork instead of at Belington at high levels; the shuttle is shorter. See Davidson, Eister, and Davidson's Wild Water West Virginia for details. [Reported 1988]