About Cantrell Ultimate Rafting
Cantrell Ultimate Rafting runs out of a base camp on Cantrell Drive in Fayetteville, West Virginia, perched near the climbing crags with a view toward the New River Gorge Bridge. The Cantrell family has been guiding on these rivers for generations and bills the company as the last family-owned and operated rafting outfitter left in the state.
Trips cover the Upper and Lower New River through summer and shift to the Gauley River for the six-week dam release season that starts the Friday after Labor Day, including the Upper Gauley and their high-adrenaline option. They also rent stand up paddleboards, rafts and inner tubes to people who would rather run their own day on the water, and the base camp has tent sites, pet-friendly luxury cabins and a pub and grill with craft beer and live music.
The scale is the point here. Smaller trip sizes mean guests deal with the same handful of guides all day rather than being processed through a resort check-in line, which is why the company picked up a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice award. Being walking distance from the Fayetteville climbing areas and a short drive from downtown also makes it a practical base for a trip that mixes rafting with climbing and hiking.
