More Than a River: How ACE Adventure Resort Built an Outdoor Economy Hub in the Gorge

ACE Adventure Resort has been putting people on whitewater since the late seventies. Over time, a 1,500-acre property in Oak Hill grew up around those rivers — more than sixty cabins, a water park, a bar and restaurant called the Lost Paddle, and now a music festival lineup that’s starting to draw crowds who’ve never touched a raft. Mountain Music Festival is in its twelfth year. Domefest is in its second. And Boots in the Gorge, a country music festival debuting July 31st and August 1st, is brand new — country icons alongside up-and-coming West Virginia acts, a genre pivot that Chris Colin says is intentional.

The events strategy at ACE has been as much about locals as visitors. Chris talks about setting up at community events and hearing from West Virginians who want nothing to do with whitewater — so he tells them about the concerts, the paint and sip, the hot tubs, the trail runs. Get them through the gate once. After that, there’s an 85 percent chance they come back. And once someone has spent a weekend at ACE, they start telling everyone they know about the New River Gorge. That word-of-mouth loop is the outdoor economy business model, in one resort’s experience.

Learn more about: ACE Adventure Resort / New River Gorge National Park / Mountain Music Festival 2026