Road Trip -- New River Gorge Advice

My partner and I (and our 60 pound Aussie) are driving from Denver to the D.C. area this weekend. The tentative plan is to leave Denver late afternoon on Friday with the eventual goal of reaching the Mid-Atlantic/D.C. area sometime Monday afternoon/evening. We are planning to camp along the way and minimize close contact with others as best we can. But we are looking for some thoughts from the hive mind on ways to break up the drive.

The top plan right now is to structure the drive around two nights at the New River Gorge. The plan would be to camp in central Kansas on Friday night, then wake up and bust out a long day all the way to the NRG on Saturday. Camp (and climb) at the New Saturday and Sunday nights, then hit the road on Monday afternoon to finish the trip. A couple questions:
- Assuming we don't get clobbered by rain, is the New in the middle of summer worth a stop? I've never climbed there (but it looks rad!).
- If it is bearable, any good recommendations for a dog-friendly crag (shady?) with sport in the .10 to .12- range or gear routes in the .9 to .11- range? Seems like there are some crags at Summersville that might be a good fit. But its hard to figure out dog-friendly access.
- Any concerns with algae blooms in the swimming out there? We would like to keep the dog alive if possible.
- How snakey are things this time of year? Again...the dog...
- We generally prefer free camping but if we drive all the way from KS to WV in one shot, we won't arrive until late on Saturday night. So I think we might get a spot in the AAC campground (I'm a member). Is the private tent camping in the AAC campground fairly spread out? We will almost certainly avoid the common areas if we can.

Other than the NRG, we've considered perhaps breaking up the drive by stopping at Jackson Falls in Illinois. That would mean no driving days over about nine hours, but it would also mean only about a half day at Jackson Falls and a half day at the New. The more we think about it, it seems like we might as well just tough out a long day of driving for what I gather is much better climbing at the New rather than divvy up our time so much.

Oh, and we also looked into the Red, but it looks like the New is generally a better summer option.

Thanks for the tips!!

DWS Summersville lake is probably what’s best based on recent conditions. 

Thanks, guys! I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it will be hot (and humid) as hell.

I thought DWS was a no go there?

As far as snakes go, copperheads are out in full force now.  They aren't immediately deadly to us, but dogs are a different story.

a Ballwrote: Thanks, guys! I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it will be hot (and humid) as hell.

I thought DWS was a no go there?

Dont fall!

David Smithwrote:

Dont fall!

Haha, got it.

Addressing your questions point by point:
It's likely to be hot and humid with a decent chance of rain. Don't expect to be climbing at your limit, but there's ample shade available and rivers or lakes to swim in, so just have at it!
As far as dog-friendly, there are a lot of ladder-access crags. Most of Endless Wall is accessed via loooong ladders, though you can approach without them, just gonna take a lot longer. Summersville has a ladder and honestly, it's just not a good place to bring a dog due to the crowds. Either upper or lower meadow are great for dogs with phenomenal climbing, more sport than trad there. Beauty Mountain is stacked with great trad climbs (and plenty of sport climbs too) in your grade and is dog friendly.
I don't know about specifics of algea blooms with respect to dogs, but Summersville lake is generally pristine. My wife isn't a fan of swimming in most natural bodies of water, but will happily jump in there.
Copperheads exist. I've only come across a couple, but they're out there for sure.
The AAC campground is amazing and the private sites will give you plenty of space. Highly recommend. It's reservation only right now and you need at least 48 hrs notice I think.

Awesome. Thanks, Andrew! We are definitely OK with avoiding the more popular crags (both because of the dog and COVID). I'll take a look at the Meadow and Beauty. Any thoughts on whether the Kaymoor side would be a workable option? Seems shady and perhaps dog friendly from the description (though might also be popular).

I'm gonna try and pick up the guidebook before we get there.

Cheers!

Usually more snakes on Kaymoor side. Would also recommend Meadow, or Summersville as having the water close at hand will make things more enjoyable.

I'm going next week but looks like rain almost every day (scattered thunderstorms).

Think it would dry fast in this heat and still be worth it?

Dan Daugherty wrote: I climbed at Cotton Club recently and nobody was there. It was shaded for the entirety of the cliff. Climbing was fun and the best part was that after, you drop your kit off in the car, walk back up the service road and down to the river. Bunch of rocks in the middle to hang out on if you want to soak up some sun. There is also Hawks Nest Boulders closer to the dam on that same road if you want to boulder and jump straight in the river.

Interesting. Thanks, Dan.

Ben Lwrote: I'm going next week but looks like rain almost every day (scattered thunderstorms).

Think it would dry fast in this heat and still be worth it?

The problem with prolonged stretches of rain at the New is that many of the cliffs remain a waterfall for a day or two after the rain has stopped. Also the summer foliage helps trap a lot of the moisture in so stuff doesn't tend to try out too quickly unless it's an exposed section of cliffline (parts of Endless Wall, etc.)

Even though you already rejected RRG as a possible destination giving a second thought might be a good idea. Yes, it is going to be hot and humid, but it is possible to climb on rainy days. 

If you do go, bring lots of bug repellent 

amariuswrote: Even though you already rejected RRG as a possible destination giving a second thought might be a good idea. Yes, it is going to be hot and humid, but it is possible to climb on rainy days. 

That's a good point. The New generally is 5-10 degrees cooler, but way more limited if it's raining than the Red.