Several times each year we meet up near Petersburg, West Virginia for 5 days of canoeing, camping and bass fishing on the South Branch. The river carves its way through the Smokehole Canyon, with spectacular geology exposed at every turn. Cave Rock is generally our first night camp, offering stunning views across the river to the upper Silurian carbonates forming Cave Rock.

Chart shows 11 year history of daily river levels for South Branch Potomac River recorded from Franklin, WV gauge. I have added river levels for all of the trips I was on during this time period .

Shirk Gap, one of our favorite camps near the famous Redman Gap anticline is always a 2 or three day camp. There are lots of nearby deep pools for catching smallmouth and rock bass. In addition, there are several trails to the ridgelines and overlooks from Shirk Gap and Redman Gap.