A rite of autumn unique to West Virginia is Bridge Day. This annual celebration, this year on Oct. 15, 2016, brings daredevils and spectators alike to the New River Bridge, the longest single arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.
Held annually on the third Saturday in October in Fayette County, this is the site of one of the biggest extreme sports events in the world. Hundreds of B.A.S.E. jumpers and nearly 80,000 spectators are anticipated.
Here, neighboring ACE Adventure Resort (http://aceraft.com/) will encourage its guests to witness the fun as B.A.S.E. jumpers, some in tandem, leap 800+ feet off the bridge into the New River Gorge below, counting on their fast-opening parachutes to function properly. Others will rappel, high line, skydive or simply contemplate what it takes for daredevils to move risk into reality. Live music, crafts and a chili cook-off add their own spice to the festivities.
Back at the resort, zip lining will get some ACE guests up close and personal with autumn, while others choose to river raft or maybe just to hike.
West Virginia is the Mountain State. The Appalachians are the oldest mountains in the world. At birth they were higher than the Himalayas. Like well-aged teeth they have worn down over time, but what they lack in height they make up for in purpose. They support one of the most ecologically diverse forests on earth. Bridge Day coincides with peak fall color time for the hardwood forests surrounding the bridge and gorge which adds an element of splendor to this event.
At ACE Adventure Resort it is still prime rafting season on the Gauley and New Rivers. The resort’s Bridge Day Fall Gauley Package Oct. 15-16 includes Bridge Day festivities, breakfast, lunch and dinner and a full day of river rafting either the Upper or Lower Gauley River. The per person rate is $139. Bridge Day Lower New River Package includes a full day of rafting on the Lower New River and Saturday night dinner. The per person rate is $99. Bridge Day Twin Rivers Package is a full day of rafting on the Lower New River on Saturday and a full day of rafting on the Upper or Lower Gauley on Sunday, with two breakfasts, two lunches and one dinner. The per person rate is $259.
Guests can also engage themselves Zip lining on ACE’s World Record Zip Line Course that follows the New River Gorge for more than a mile, providing unrivaled views of the river 800 feet below. The network is comprised of nine zip lines, with two sky bridges and a 55-foot viewing tower with multiple decks. The only zip line network on the New River Gorge, it features side-by-side lines so friends can race or ride at the same time. The zip line holds a 2012 title from the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of people to zip along the cable in under an hour. Adventurers can also ride the zip line at night with only headlamps to illuminate the shadows. New River Bridge Cat Walk Tour takes guests clipped into a safety cable on a walk over the 1.5 mile New River Bridge Catwalk (24 inches wide and 876 feet above the New River).
Activities stay lively here amidst the falling leaves. World-class rafting on The Gauley, one of the wildest late-flowing rafting rivers in the country, is guaranteed here through Oct. 16. There are also year-round rafting expeditions on New River Gorge National River.
West Virginia's colorful palette on a landscape that is 80 percent forested comes with uncrowded scenic drives and crisp fall days. In fact, this southern state probably has more varieties of colorful hardwoods than does New England. Fall colors at ACE Adventure Resort peak mid to late October depending on the weather. However, the protected depths of the New River Gorge hold colors longer along the river bottom. Prime foliage viewing is best from secluded overlooks which include the Endless Wall Trail, named the best national park hike in the United States by the readers of USA Today. The fall colors can be truly spectacular with the right timing (this can be coupled with a raft trip).
Most of the activities that have made ACE Adventure Resort the #1 Outfitter in West Virginia continue through fall as well: zip lining, mountain biking, disc golf, stand up paddle boarding and rock climbing. The adjacent 70,000-acre New River Gorge National River is an option for miles of wilderness exploring afoot and on horseback or fat tire bike. Guests may also enjoy world class fishing on the New River for small mouth bass. Conditions for rock climbing and mountain biking are usually optimal this time of year.
For more information and to make trip and lodging reservations, please telephone (800) 787-3982 or email ace@aceraft.com. Visit the website at www.aceraft.com.
About ACE Adventure Resort: ACE Adventure Resort is the East Coast’s largest mountain hideaway exclusively focused on world-class whitewater rafting along with guided adventures, outdoor sports and activities, lodging, camping and other amenities. The nearby New River Gorge National River is affectionately known as the “Grand Canyon of the East” and features rafting from April to October. The New and Gauley Rivers combined offer over 100 miles of rapids all within 30 minutes of the resort. Both rivers are administered by the National Park Service. ACE’s passion since 1980 has been to create vacations wrapped around these rivers and other outdoor adventures so that guests can experience “a world of adventure in one place.” The 1,500 acres here encompass both forest and a 5-acre lake plus a series of ponds, a mining-era ghost town and spectacular cliffs for rock climbing, waterfalls and overlooks.
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