Little Sandy Creek, West Virginia, US
|
|
2. Rt 26 to Big Sandy Creek
| Usual Difficulty |
III-IV (for normal flows) |
| Length |
5.35 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient |
31 fpm |
| Max Gradient |
80 fpm |
First Slide on the Little Sandy (small version)
First Slide on the Little Sandy (small version)Photo of Milt Aitken by Brad Roberts taken 05/15/02 @ 6.9' at Rockville
Gauge Information
River Description
Run continues for 2.1 miles on the
Upper Big Sandy.
This very pretty run is a good option for those who don't feel up to the
Lower Big Sandy, or who want a longer run
than the 5.3 miles of the Lower Big Sandy. It's mostly a ledgy run, mostly boat-scoutable. The best
play is probably at the Upper Big Sandy confluence, where there are plenty of ledges and holes. As
noted in the Upper Big Sandy description, the last mile or so above the Rockville bridge is the
toughest.
Directions:
Take I-68 to Bruceton Mills. Head South on WV 26. Put in at the bridge crossing the creek, just
before Little Sandy Creek Road.
To the Rockville takeout: hang a right onto Little Sandy Creek Road. Follow the road for a couple
of miles, and hang a right onto a rutty dirt road just after a triangular grassy parking area. The
Rockville takeout is at the bridge. Parking is limited at Rockville, as the Lower Big Sandy is
getting more popular each year.
StreamTeam Status: Verified
Last Updated: 2005-03-18 00:09:52
No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. 
User Comments
problem. The first part of the Little Sandy is about 1.5 miles of flat water, then you hit about 3
ledges (first is biggest I think). Then there is one tough slide that pushes you toward a rock on
the right, while there is another troublesome rock on the left. Run off the pillow coming off the
rock on the right and punch through the holes. If you flip watch your head. At the very bottom of
the creek, before reaching the Big Sandy there is a long rapid all the way to the confluence they
can be tricky. The first part has a few offset holes that may cause problems, but after that Its
mainly just a lot of waves. The whole run down to rockville took about 2 hours at a fairly easy
pace.
often portaged.