Annually, Friends of the Cheat raises funds for public river access improvements in the Cheat River watershed. For 18 years, FOC developed and maintained safe access roads to the Cheat Canyon and Big Sandy Rivers. In 2025, a record number of Whitewater Access donors supported FOC’s special campaign to purchase the “The Caves/YaYa’s Landing” access point along the Cheat River Narrows.
This year, we’re continuing that momentum with a focus on multiple projects at public access sites along the Cheat River Narrows.
To help move this effort forward, a generous anonymous donor has pledged a $20K matching gift!
Help FOC reach our $20K goal and double the impact of your donation.
The Driveway
FOC is working with a private landowner to secure and improve the Driveway Public River Access on the Cheat Narrows.
Long used by private boaters, rafting companies, and anglers as a popular put-in, Driveway has an easy sloped path down to the river, and the largest parking area of all the put-in locations along Rt. 72.
Your support will help FOC bring this popular access location under FOC’s management so that we can improve and protect access to the Cheat Narrows for the long-term. Planned improvements include upgrades to the parking area and increased accessibility to the river.
Help build the fund for shovel-ready improvements – when access is finalized, we’ll be ready to move forward without delay.
Cheat River Trailhead River Access Improvements
River users at the Cheat River Trailhead can look forward to upcoming improvements as Phase II of the Cheat River Rail-Trail moves forward.
Plans include a more gradual path from the river to the parking lot at the takeout, along with paving high-use areas around the pavilion and repainting parking spaces.
Excerpt from engineering plans detailing the river access improvements.
The success of our whitewater access campaigns is only possible by donors like YOU. Every donation counts. A $100 donation renews your FOC membership; $300 grants you Cheat Fest VIP status for 2026/2027. Donate by April 29th for 2026 Cheat Fest VIP status.
Jenkinsburg/Rockville Updates
FOC is in the 5th year of our partnership with WV Land Trust as the land managers of the Jenkinsburg Recreation & Natural Area. FOC visits Jenkinsburg regularly to monitor litter and road conditions. Jenkinsburg access road conditions are holding up after WVDOH worked extensively to improve them last year.
The Jenkinsburg Bridge was closed in 2025 due to safety concerns. The Masontown VFD currently serves the Bull Run/Jenkinsburg area which is now effectively inaccessible due to the bridge closure. Local fire departments and emergency responders are aware of the closure. If you are in the Bull Run/Jenkinsburg area and need emergency services, dial 911.
The Rockville Bridge remains closed after being shut down by DOH in August of 2020. Paddlers can use the road on the Valley Point side to reach the river left access point – but fair warning – the road is in bad shape and only high clearance vehicles clearing should attempt it. The put-in there is on private property, so please respect the landowners and don’t park in front of the house at the bottom left. We hope to improve the road and help build an access here in the near future. The river right access from the Pisgah side (ideal for the Upper Big Sandy) is in better condition, and goes straight to the improved FOC access point.
History of FOC Whitewater Access Campaign
For the past 19 years, Friends of the Cheat has developed and maintained access to the Cheat Canyon and Big Sandy Rivers in Albright, Rockville, and Jenkinsburg through our Whitewater Access program.
In 2006, Friends of the Cheat partnered with American Whitewater to lease the Jenkinsburg Access for 25 Years. We then raised $25,000 and arranged for a $15,000 match from the West Virginia DEP. We are now working closely with the West Virginia Land Trust, which took ownership of the land last Fall. In 2007, FOC partnered with Chesapeake Energy, who donated the land that was to become the Rockville Access on the Big Sandy. After a land swap with Allegheny Wood Products, the parking lot was improved.
In 2009, FOC began a decade-long project to stabilize and maintain the Rockville and Jenkinsburg Shuttle Roads. With state highway budgets cut to the bone, roads like this are simply ignored. The Whitewater Access Campaign is a long-term project We’ve raised over $170,000 to improve parking and maintain the roads used by river runners and hikers thanks to the generosity of hundreds of Cheat River Lovers just like you!
In 2020, the West Virginia Land Trust (WVLT) acquired the Jenkinsburg Recreation Area, securing and protecting it for future river and trail public access. FOC will continue to manage the area in partnership with WVLT – and assist in future improvements.
In 2025, FOC launched a special whitewater access campaign to purchase “The Caves/YaYa’s Landing” public access point along the Cheat River Narrows – to a resounding success! We are especially grateful to the family behind Arkley Forestlands LLC, whose commitment to conservation and public access made this moment possible: John Harley, Joanne Lynn, Tom Harley, Mary Shearon, Tim Clark, Alan Clark, Bruce Clark and Dan Clark – the children of the four Arkley founders, Tom and Mildred Clark and Dorcas and Jack Harley. Their donation of 2.92 acres of property and willingness to sell the adjacent 0.96 acres allowed FOC to grasp a rare opportunity – and we’re very thankful.
FOC worked with Thrasher Engineering to obtain environmental permitting approvals and finalize a 90% engineering plan to upgrade the historical river access with expanded parking and improved access, complete with concrete stairs and a raft slide. The Caves Parking area will be improved to expand as an overflow area and address safety concerns with the caves and Route 72. This work is supported by grants from the WV Partner Community Capital – Recreation Economy Initiative, WVU Brad & Alys Smith OEDC, Richard K. Mellon Foundation, and proceeds from our Whitewater Access campaign.
While this is an exciting beginning, this project is currently not fully funded for construction. The cost estimate of work is around $570K for full buildout. FOC submitted two proposals in 2025 to bring this project to fruition. We are waiting to hear back from the National Scenic Byways Program, a national program that supports the Scenic Byway system, of which Route 72 is a recognized section. We additionally submitted a proposal to the WVDEP Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization program. FOC is pursuing WVDNR as a project partner and is looking to partner with other state agencies to strengthen future proposals for construction plans at YaYa’s Landing.