Did You Know...

. . . that West Virginia's Gauley River provides rafters with world-class whitewater for six weeks each fall? For whitewater buffs, the river can be prime paddling all summer long. But for six weeks in late summer and early autumn, the Corps of Engineers releases water from the upstream Summersville Dam, awakening the Gauley's rapids at a time of year when most other rivers dry to mere trickles.

Festivities culminate with the annual three-day Gauley Fest, where hundreds of thousands of dollars are raised each year for the advocacy group American Whitewater, which uses the money to protect and improve access to rivers around the country. Recent Gauley Fests have drawn more than 6,000 people.