Rivermen History
The Rivermen Story
Since 1980, our goal at Rivermen has been to provide the ultimate West Virginia outdoor adventure experience for families, couples and singles, groups of friends and other whitewater and outdoor enthusiasts. Our popular adventures, from rafting to rock climbing, biking to horseback riding, always balance safety with excitement, high performance with fun and learning with achievement. We consistently achieve these goals at Rivermen because we expect more from ourselves than many other adventure companies and because, we truly love what we do.
We challenge ourselves everyday by setting high standards and following our core values and philosophy that emphasize:
- Intensive staff training and ongoing risk management strategies
- A higher level of participant instruction and preparation
- Constant innovation in equipment, instruction and procedures
- A friendly, supportive environment that promotes teamwork, personal achievement and fun
For our guides, running rivers and outdoor adventure is a chosen way of life. It’s what they love to do and this desire drives them to be the best. This philosophy is something we share with our guests every day.
We’ve developed the New River Gorge Adventure Center to be West Virginia’s preeminent adventure resort, offering high quality accommodations from camping to West Virginia cabins and other lodging options, delicious and convenient dining experiences, in camp entertainment, games and camaraderie. Read about what our guests say about their Rivermen experience.
Rivermen's History
The origination of Rivermen was a wild desire to explore, to discover adventure, to share camaraderie and to experience the awesome beauty of nature within our family, The Campbells.
Steve Campbell founded the Rivermen, Inc. in the spring of 1980. Steve is a world-class adventurer and expert river guide who has recently completed a “Sea to Sea” paddle of the Lewis and Clark Trail. The Rivermen began operations with two ten-year old used rafts, a pick-up truck and an old family camper that was converted into a bus for hauling guests. Steve’s dream was to share his passion for outdoor adventure and running world-class white water with others. Howard Campbell, Steve’s father, was the initial investor in the company. The Rivermen’s first outpost was located on the rim of the New River Gorge overlooking the town of Thurmond. While this was a beautiful location, it was extremely remote and difficult to find. There was no water or sewage available and this location had very little potential for development without a tremendous amount of investment.
In the spring of 1984, The Rivermen relocated its base of operations to the current site off US Highway 19 just two miles from the New River Gorge Bridge. This new location provided easy highway access and infrastructure as well as a 16-room rustic motel and about 50 wooded acres of land to develop for camping and other activities. Over the last twenty-three years we have expanded our base camp facilities to become the New River Gorge Adventure Center, an all-inclusive adventure resort, featuring camping, RV sites, cabin rentals, and other lodging as well as a variety of outdoor vacations options, in camp dining and lively evening entertainment.
Rivermen has always been an industry innovator. We were the first outfitter in the country to introduce white water rafting videos. We pioneered half-day trips and shorter “Mini” trips on the New River. We were one of the first outfitters to develop an all inclusive lodging and activity resort concept that has become the industry standard today. We continued to expand out adventure offerings as well as add lodging options, new lodging/activity packages and dining options.
From the company’s very humble beginnings in 1980, The Rivermen, Inc. has maintained a consistent pattern of growth and reinvestment. Today, we are one of the largest and most respected outfitters in the country. We have an experienced and dedicated staff that is committed to delivering world-class outdoor adventure experiences and outstanding customer service.
Over the last 27 years, The Rivermen, Inc. has developed a distinctive style and philosophy of river running and adventure leadership, balancing high performance guiding with a higher level of participant instruction and an intense commitment to risk management. Our goal is to maximize the intensity and excitement of the adventure experience according to the abilities and desire of each participant. Our guests take pride in their Rivermen experience and training and always return home with a sense of accomplishment, camaraderie and enthusiasm telling friends, family, and co-workers about their adventure in West Virginia.
High performance is our goal both on and off the river, striving for excellence in everything we do. This way of thinking has become integral to performing all aspects of our operations from customer assistance to adventure activities and additional services at the New River Gorge Adventure Center (NRGAC). The NRGAC is a convenient hub of operations located just two miles from the New River Gorge Bridge. We have developed this all inclusive resort to be more than just a place to meet before and after each trip but one where guests can connect with others, to relive the adventures of the day and refuel for tomorrow. The New River Gorge Adventure Center provides a common ground for interacting with guides and staff and instills a sense of belonging among our guests. The NRGAC experience becomes a natural extension of a Rivermen adventure trip prolonging the fun well into the evening.
We invite customers to stay longer and experience more by offering complete packages that combine rafting with area adventure activities, lodging and food. Our goal is to encourage longer adventure vacations with a wide range of experiences. Adventure activities include rocking climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking and more. We provide convenient gourmet breakfast and dinner buffets as well as a variety of lodging options such as camping, cabin tents, and cabin rentals.
All adventure trips are not created equal with a wide range in quality based upon outfitter resources, philosophies and individual styles of doing business. A common marketing approach in the outdoor industry it to attract new business by competing solely on price alone. They reduce the quality of the experience and meet or beat any price. We believe it is not possible to be both the best and the cheapest. We choose to be the best. We are committed to providing the ultimate West Virginia adventure experience by training and developing the best staff, by using the best equipment and by pricing our products to insure outstanding value.
We have created a variety of Lodging Packages which combine our most popular river and multisport trips with lodging and meals to make trip planning as hassle-free and convenient as possible for our guests. Our NRGAC provides all inclusive ease for groups with easy access to all facilities and activities but lots of privacy set amidst the West Virginia woods.
The New River Gorge Adventure Center has been created in the style of a rustic frontier outpost reminiscent of the early days of exploration and discovery in America. We contrast this image with brightly colored yellow rafts and buses that match our yellow and blue life jackets, helmets and paddles. These bold and eye-catching colors create a unique and memorable brand identity that sets us apart from our competition. The overall impression provides a sense of quality and professionalism that attracts new and returning customers.
When our customers leave the New River Gorge Adventure Center they remember their experience with us for years and they return again and again. They remember friendly guides and staff, personal attention to detail, individual accomplishment, outstanding food and service, new friendships and above all a sense of belonging.