Confluence/Ohiopyle

Welcome to the Confluence/Ohiopyle region

Whitewater enthusiasts can trace many of their roots to the Ohiopyle region. This region is the home of the first commercial whitewater rafting company (Wilderness Voyagers), the location of one of kayaking's most forward thinking boat designers who single handedly changed the shape of the craft we so love (Jim Snyder), home to the man who pioneered most of the swiftwater rescue skills currently used (Charlie Walbridge), and the residence of countless boaters (John Regan, Jeff Snyder, Jesse Whitemore, etc...) who through a willingness to seek out adventure and pave the way for the rest of us, have made whitewater boating one of this regions most prolific activities. Within Ohiopyle, newer boaters are produced yearly hailing from one of the four commercial rafting companies or the illustrious Riversport School of Paddling, adding to a community rich in working class values and enjoyment of life, with whitewater to paddle everyday of the year. Fortunately for them, the Ohiopyle region presents a wide expanse of opportunity to seek out adventure at all levels, ranging from the Class II Middle Yough and Casselman Rivers, up through the Class III Lower Yough and Stonycreek Rivers, into the Class IV realm of the Cheat, Big Sandy and Upper Yough, and then ending in the Class V extremes found in the Canaan Valley and falling off of the multitude of mountains that surround both the Yough and Cheat Watersheds. Even the paddlers that have occupied the region from it's beginnings talk about that run they haven't done yet, or that hard to catch creek that runs once every ten years, defining a region rich in opportunity, adventure, and most of all, Whitewater.


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Regional Rivers

River descriptions coming soon...

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World Kayak Regional Ambassador Jason Hilton - Ignorant Rapid @ Drake Run

Regional Paddling News

Rain cometh... even if only for a moment

Some Friday showers allowed a group of locals to hit up the Northern WV classic Lower Big Sandy on Saturday, check out the information inside.


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Rest In Peace Isaac Ludwig

On Tuesday, regional native Isaac Ludwig lost his life in pursuing his favorite activity. He was an expert kayaker known as one of the best boaters our region has produced. He will be sorely missed.


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Three Rivers entry into Captain Thurmond's

Local adventure racer Matt Pascal recently attended the Captain Thurmond's triathlon, after training for over six months, only to fall victim to poor planning and bad circumstance. Check out information on this debacle here.


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Jason Hilton, Confluence USA

Jason Hilton began his pursuit of vertical water within one of the greatest and most historic paddling destinations in the country, the Middle Appalachia region centered around Ohiopyle State Park, in Pennsylvania. Home to some of the earliest pioneers of the sport and some of the most technical water in the country, Jason continues to carry on the traditions this region is known for: tight finesse boating, the pursuit of micro creeks tucked into mountain sides, and a desire to share river knowledge and techniques with others.


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National Paddling News

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