The flatwater rivers of North-Central West Virginia provide excellent paddling opportunities. The major tributaries (West Fork, Tygart Valley, Buckhannon, and Cheat Rivers) and the Monongahela River are a hot-spot for water based recreation.
Community members in Fairmont and Morgantown started their own social paddle groups to take advantage of the abundant recreational opportunities. The Fairmont Flotilla and the Morgantown Area Paddlers have both attracted numerous members since their inception, helping people get on the water and sharing the beauty of nature while also getting healthy exercise.
Bruce Slabaugh says he and other friends founded the Fairmont Flotilla in 2019 as a way to get on the water. The social group even has its own logo, featuring a great blue heron and Fairmont’s Million Dollar Bridge that crosses the Mon River. Bruce says, “The group expanded through the years due, in no small part, to the Facebook page “Fairmont Floatilla” pioneered by Kymberly Byers. The page now has 440 members! The group has paddled many lakes, streams, and rivers in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. The group loves the natural beauty of the rivers and wildlife such as bald eagles, osprey, beavers, and even gar. Overall, the group has been a great way to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.”
The group even helps pick up trash as they float, leaving the river better than they found it.
The Fairmont Flotilla meets every Tuesday at 6PM at Prickett’s Fork, as well as hosts Moonlight paddles on the Mon at Palatine Park. All are welcome to join the group!
These local paddle groups inspired members of the Guardians of the West Fork to start their own paddle group in Clarksburg. The group meets every week at the Veterans Park Boat Ramp in Clarksburg at 6PM. We float upstream and downstream on the calm waters of the West Fork making new friends and enjoying the beauty of the river. Come out and join us this summer!
Check out these groups on Facebook for more information on community paddle groups:
Monongahela River – Morgantown Area Paddlers
Monongahela River – Fairmont Flotilla
West Fork River – Guardians of the West Fork & West Fork Water Trail
Tygart River – Save the Tygart Watershed Association
Buckhannon River – Buckhannon River Watershed Association & Buckhannon River Paddlers
By Jessica Bryzek
Guardians of the West Fork Watershed 