Whitewater in West Virginia: Celebrating 50 Years

Fifty years ago, West Virginia’s multi-million-dollar whitewater rafting industry was founded by a handful of high-spirited college students with a few canoes and Army surplus rafts. The Dragan brothers—Chris, Tom and Jon—and Jon’s girlfriend, Melanie, all 24 years old or younger, started the state’s first whitewater company, Wildwater Unlimited, in the 1960s and began taking friends down the New River in Army surplus rafts. The spirit and adventure of the sport quickly spread throughout the state, creating a tourist destination at the New River Gorge and a new brand of adventure available around the state that now includes outdoor activities, lodging, dining and more.