Bridge Day is loud, hot, crowded, chaotic, and one of the best days you can have in West Virginia. Every third Saturday in October, 140,000 people descend on the New River Gorge Bridge for one of the largest extreme sports events in the world. Here's what to actually expect — and why it's worth every bit of the chaos.

Every visitor asks it. The honest answer is that you genuinely can't go wrong — but there are real differences worth knowing about. Here's our local breakdown of every rafting company at the New River Gorge so you can pick the one that fits your trip.