Canoeing & Kayaking Venues in West-Central Virginia

(No rapids rated greater than class III)

Note: WSC members will be offering their updated reports and suggestions on where to boat in the future, but here is some information from the web. Much of this was taken from RiverFacts and appears to have been compiled without personal knowledge or experience on the part of the website publisher. The accuracy cannot be verified. Questions or suggestions? Email boating@wtgsportingclub.org.

Briery Branch (Rockingham County): Briery Branch Dam to North River (Rockingham County) – 10.5 miles, class I-III. Put-in southeast of Briery Branch Reservoir, take-out at the bridge on route 748 (Thomas Spring Rd.) No livery service.

Buck Mountain Creek (Albemarle County): Put-in north-west of Charlottesville where Free Union Road(route 6r01) crosses the creek; takeout where Buck Mtn. Creek meets Meechum’s River. 9 miles, class II. No livery service.

Buffalo River (Amherst County): 1. Forks of Buffalo to Amherst. Class II, 19 miles. Put-in near route 60 north of Falling Creek Rd, takeout where the Buffalo River crosses route 29 near Amherst. No livery service. 2. Amherst to Tye River. Class I-III, 13 miles. Put-in where the Buffalo River crosses route 29, takeout where the Buffalo Rivers meets the Tye River. No livery service.

Bullpasture River (Highland County): 10 miles, class I-II. Put-in near junction of route 250 and Bertie Lane in McDowell, takeout by Junction Road where it joins the Cowpasture River Southeast of Williamsville. No livery service. 

Hardware River (Fluvanna County): 12 miles, class I-II. Temperance Wayside to the James River. Put-in where West R9iver Road (route 6) crosses the Hardware River; takeout where the Hardware River meets the James River near the State Wildlife Management area. No livery service.

Harris Creek (Amherst County). Route 130 to the James River class I-III, 7 miles. Further information not available. No livery service. 

James River

1.     Upper James (Botetort County): Route 45 to route 630 section. 16.5 miles, class I-II. Put-in at Eagle Rock off route 43, takeout where the river goes beneath route 630. Unsure about livery service here.

2.     Upper James (Rockbridge County) Glasgow to Snowden. 5 miles, class II-III. Put-in east of Natural Bridge near the end of Blue Ridge Rd., takeout on the left near Virginia Byway/Elon Rd. (route 501). Unsure about livery service here.

3.     Upper to Mid James (Amherst County): Snowden to Six Mile. 29 Miles, class I-II. Put-in off Elon Rd. route 130, takeoutnear route 726 10 miles east of Lynchburg. Livery service doubtful here.

4.     Amherst Section: (Amherst County): Livery service available at James River State Park Campground (Memorial to Labor Day.)

Lynch River (Albemarle County): Shady Grove to North Fork Rivanna River 6.5 miles, class II-III. Put-in near the junction of routes 628 and 810 west of Ruckersville, takeout where the Lynch River meets the Roach River. (no highway designated nearby.) No livery sevice.

Middle River (Augusta County): Westview to Verona, 25 miles, class I-II. Put-in where route 254 crosses the Middle River; takeout where route 11 crosses the river in Verona. No livery service.

Moormans River (Albemarle County): Charlottesville Reservoir to Free Union, 13.5 miles, class I – III. Put-in east of the reservoir near route 614, takeout where the river crosses route 601, Free Union Road. No livery service.

Pedlar River (Amherst County): Route 640 to Highway 130. 6 miles, class I-II. Put-in off Love Lady Creek Rd. (route 640), takeout where the river crosses Elon Road (route 130).  Or continue another 3 miles to the James River. No livery service.

Rivanna River (Albemarle County): Advance Milles to route 29.  Class II, 112 miles. (Best in spring to early summerwhen water is up.) Put-in where the river corsses Buffalo River Road (route 604), takeout just beyond where the river goes under route 29. No livery service.

Roach River (Albemarle County): St. George to North Fork Rivanna River. 6 miles, class II-III. Put-in near junction of Roach Road and Bacon Hollow Road, northwest of Ruckersville, takeout where the Roach River joins the Lynch River. No livery service here.

Rockfish River (Nelson County): Nellysford to Howardsville. Est’d 20 miles, class I-II, class III after Schuyler. Put-in at confluence of North & South forks along route 6, takeout in Schuyler where there is a dam (or where Rockfish enters the James River in Howardsville). Mostly class I – II,  navigable from spring to early summer. No livery service.

Shenandoah River

1.     North Fork (Rockingham County): Route 921 to route 730. 27.5 miles, class I-III. Put-in off Lars Run Road, west of route 259, takeout where the river runs beneath the bridge on Caverns Rd. (route 730) east of Shenandoah Caverns. No livery service here.

2.     South Fork (Page County): Route 675 to Bentonville. 27.5 miles, class I-II. Put-in where the river flows beneath the bridge at Bixlers Ferry (route 675). Takeout near route 613 near the bridge in Bentonville. (Note there are numerous shorter trips along the south fork and there are several livery services. – see below).

3.     South Fork (Page County): Elkton to Luray. 30.5 miles, class I-II. Put-in at Spotswood Trail (route 33) near Elkton, takeout by the bridge next to Lee Highway (route 211) southwest of Luray. Note, the most scenic part of the Shenandoah is further north, from Luray to Bentonville.

Slate River (Buckingham County): Diana Mills to James River. 9.5 miles, class I-II. Put-in near the junction of Spreading Oak Rd. (route 671) and Diana Mills Road (route 611), takeout where the Slate Rivers meets the James river west of New Canton.

South River (Rockingham County), Waynesboro to Lynwood. 25 miles, class I-II. Put-in just south of Main St. (route 250), takeout at the South Fork of the Shenandoah by Lynwood Road (route 708).

South River – Rapidan Tributary (Greene County). 9 miles, class II-III. Put-in near the junction of Turkey Ridge Road (route638) and South River Road (route 637), takeout where the river runs beneath Madison Road (route 230). 

Stoney Creek (Shenandoah County): to North Fork of Shenandoah River. 15.5 miles, class I-III. Put-in where the river runs beneath Dekllinger Acres Road, east of Camp Strawderman, takeoutwhere the river flows under Edinburg Gap Road (route 675) near Edinburg.

Tye River

1.     Route 29 to route 654 (Nelson County).  8 miles, class I-III (unconfirmed rating). Putin where the river runs beneath route 29 south of Arrington, takeout where the river flows beneath Falling Rock Drive (route 654)

2.     Route 654 to James River (Nelson County), 8 miles, class I-III (unconfirmed rating). Put-in where the river flows beneath Falling Rock Drive (route 654), takeout where the Tye River meets the James.