Paddling near Charleston, WV

The West Virginia capital sits in Kanawha County at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers, putting flatwater within reach of downtown — you can paddle the Kanawha past the gold-domed Capitol. The Elk River Water Trail runs 101 miles from Sutton Dam into the city, while the Coal River Walhonde Water Trail meets the Kanawha at St. Albans, 12 miles west. World-class whitewater on the Gauley and New Rivers lies a short drive southeast.