For over 30 years, our goal has been to share our knowledge and love of the rivers, the outdoors, and the majesty of West Virginia with visitors from near and far.
Back in 1978, Richie Cantrell made a fateful decision to turn his love of canoeing and the outdoors into a lifelong business adventure by opening Cantrell Canoes & Rafts in Hinton, WV. Way back then, Richie was a pioneer in creating safe and exciting rafting trips on the New, Greenbrier and Bluestone rivers. As word spread of this New River Gorge Region treasure, so did the desire among adventurers for more fishing, rafting and especially challenging whitewater.
Soon, Richie decided to expand the company with more adventures on the New River and in the burgeoning canyon of the Gauley River. The new and improved Cantrell Ultimate Rafting opened a new basecamp and campground on Gatewood Road in Fayetteville -- the heart of the West Virginia rafting area. In 2010, Cantrell Ultimate Rafting expanded their facilities in Fayetteville, adding a 100 acre campus that includes luxury cabins, historic log cabins, twelve Amish built cabins, a quaint forest setting for our tent campers and full hookups for our R.V. travelers. The newly expanded facilities were specifically developed to ensure our guests experience what "almost heaven" is all about! Situated to provide easy access to the rivers and countless more outdoor activities such as golfing, hiking, camping, bicycling, horseback riding, zip-lining canopy tours, rock climbing and rappelling.
Although we've grown over the years, some things still remain the same. Richie Cantrell is still around and continues to be one of the most respected figures in the New River Gorge Region and throughout the whitewater rafting community. You can usually find him hanging around basecamp, visiting with guests in the pub, and making sure his friendly, professional, and highly skilled staff is still dedicated to crafting memorable outdoor adventures for families and friends.