Paddling near Pipestem, WV

Pipestem sits on the east rim of the Bluestone River Gorge in Mercer County, and the paddling scene centers on Pipestem Resort State Park's Long Branch Lake, the Bluestone River, and the nearby New River. The Bluestone runs Class II–III through a deep gorge, with a 19-mile run and a unique aerial tramway exit at Pipestem State Park. Flatwater paddlers have Long Branch Lake and Bluestone Lake close at hand.