Spot Info: [Refresh Current Flow For All Spots] Last Refreshed: 10-15-2025 10:19:07 PM PDT

Name:		Mellow Ledge		Current Flow:	Please Enter USGS Gage #
River:				Water Temp:
Country:				Turbidity:	?
Region:				PH:	?
State:				Min Flow:	4300cfs
City:				Ideal Flow:	6000cfs
Lat, Long:				Max Flow:	9500cfs
Gage Name:
USGS Gage#:
Gage Url:		http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wv/nwis/uv/?site_no=03185400&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,62614
Predict Url:		http://newweb.erh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=rnk&gage=hinw2&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1&toggles=10,7,8,2,9,15,6&type=0
Notes & Directions:		INTRODUCTION Mellow Ledge is a wonderful (and really under-appreciated) Mystery realm located about 1/2 mile upstream of the New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville, West Virginia. The rides at Mellow Ledge are deep, long, smooth and, of course, mellow! Mellow Ledge has the distinction of being in range more days per year than any other Mystery realm in West Virginia. Mellow Ledge runs all winter but it is usually too cold squirt. In March-April the temperatures become tolerable and Mellow Ledge stays in range all the way until summer. This is the best time to catch Mellow Ledge. Mellow Ledge is located between Millers Folly (Undercut) and Thread the Needle on the New River Gorge. The local squirting boating pro calls the spot Millers Folly instead of Mellow Ledge. I remember the first time I saw Mellow Ledge... Carl Gittings and I ran the New River gorge in squirt boats one freezing, rainy December afternoon. We mushed into the eddy line at Mellow Ledge on our way down river. The bubbles rising calmly to the surface gave me the impression that this was a very deep and special Mystery realm. We were too cold to stop and explore as our session at the Halls of Karma had put us on the verge of hypothermia. My butt was frozen and we had to get off the river. We would have to sample Mellow Ledge another day. DIRECTIONS Mellow Ledge is on river left, directly across from the confluence of Fern Creek. To get there, park at the takeout below the bridge (WHAT BRIDGE?) and walk up the railroad tracks 1/2-mile on river left. Past the first gentle bend in the tracks, you will see a 10-foot boulder up ahead, left of the tracks. About 20 yards upstream of this boulder there is a telephone pole. Another 10 yards upstream of this pole you will find a steep trail that leads directly down to Mellow Ledge. Early in the season look through the bare trees for Fern Creek on the other side of the river. HYDRODYNAMICS The eddy line at Mellow Ledge is formed by currents that spiral off the sloping edge of a very large, rectangular boulder that lays almost flat in the water. Regular lefty charcs are the norm at Mellow Ledge. (Back cuts have not been very fruitful here.) You will notice a large pillow on the upstream side of the boulder. Slice in at the interface between this pillow and the currents passing downstream. The initial drop will take you spinning down the sloping face of the boulder. You may grind your stern on the way down if you are too close to the rock on the entry. When you drop off the edge of the boulder (2 to 3 spins) you will drop again and go deep (the double suck). In the middle of your long and gentle ride, you may find yourself bumping into an underwater pillow that suddenly drives you to the surface. You can screw down behind this pillow (the triple suck) into a really long and deep ride. This pillow is formed a large sloping boulder (Kind Rock) but no one has ever hit it. GAUGE The gauge for Mellow Ledge is the Thurmond USGS gauge: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Gauge2/detail/id/43472/ The Hinton gauge is about 12 hours upstream and helps with predicting levels due to dam release. LOW WATER The bare minimum flow for rides at Mellow Ledge is just under 4500 cfs. Hand paddles are best at low flow because you really have to screw down to catch the double-suck. Long, deep rides are still possible but not consistently obtained. IDEAL LEVELS The ideal levels are between 5800 to 7400 cfs. The rides are fantastically deep and very easy on the body. How good is it? I can spend a whole day at Mellow Ledge at this level and not miss a single ride. What does that tell you? Some who have sampled this spot at ideal levels have argued that Mellow Ledge is better than Halls of Karma. Yeah, you read that correctly. Better than Halls of Karma. The only problem with the ideal levels is that you will go so deep and so long that you will surface in the 2nd or 3rd eddy. A ride into the 2nd eddy is not a big deal, but you will have to attain back up into the 1st eddy. Attaining can be a real PITA for hand paddlers at these higher levels. Fortunately a sneak opens up through the boulders at about 7400 cfs, which allows you to pull or push yourself up and over some rocks back into the 1st eddy. I like to go through the sneak backwards so that I am pushing myself over the rocks, not pulling myself. A ride into the 3rd eddy, while fantastically long, necessitates getting out of your boat and carrying over the boulders back to Mellow Ledge. The first ride into the 3rd eddy: THAT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME! Second time: Oh, that was cool. Third time: I am NOT doing that again. HIGH WATER At 9300 cfs the rock is underwater and Mellow Ledge is just a large, sticky hole. The eddy is almost gone. You can still get mysteries, but it is a ton of work battling the current. The charc is essentially the same as at lower levels. You will surface in the 3rd eddy. I heard rumors that the old-school Projet crowd likes Mellow Ledge in the 9300 to 9800 cfs range. That makes sense. Projets have the speed to stay in the fast-moving eddy and the hole is powerful enough to sink a large-volume boat like a Project. BETA FOR TRAVELERS One old-timer reported that he will not travel 3 hours to Mellow Ledge unless the level is at least 3 feet (5800 cfs). That is not bad advice if you are heading in from out of town. Check the prediction URL above to see what Hinton is doing or going to do (12 hours upstream). PARKING Mellow Ledge does not handle crowds very well. The eddy can handle 4 boats max. Finding a place to get out of your boat is always a problem. The river bank is a jumble of large boulders and you will be able to find only one docking station at any given level. At low levels there is a sloping ledge where you can get out of your boat. This ledge is at the upstream corner of the rock that forms Mellow Ledge. It is immediately upstream of a big undercut that keeps the ferry interesting. At high levels there is a protected harbor near the bottom of the first eddy. Even if you cannot find a place to dock, at least you can do a wet exit in shallow water. AESTHETICS Mellow Ledge is in the sun until late in the day. However, the rocks on shore go into the shade quite a bit earlier. It is not the best place to be on a cold day. Dress warmly. Early in the season gloves and hoods are a good idea. ALTERNATIVE PLAYGROUNDS On your way down river back to the takeout, stop at Thread the Needle for a few dips. Its fun place. If the water is too low for Mellow Ledge, then check out Thread the Needle (best at 2500 to 4500 cfs). If the water is even lower than that, then check out Halls of Karma (1200 to 2700 cfs). If the water is too high for Mellow Ledge, then see what is running on the the Gauley. Mellow Ledge is a groovy place, baby. -Harry
Quality:	Exploratory Poor Moderate Great Epic

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