JRA’s Guide to Overnight Float Trips on the James River

By Gabe Silver, JRA Environmental Educator                                 July 2009

Every summer, I find my thoughts turning to the peaceful coming of a river dawn, the camaraderie of a campfire-cooked meal, and the unmatched coziness of a riverside tent as the sound of moving water lulls me into a deep sleep full of fishing dreams.  It must be time to plan an overnight float trip on the James River! The James upstream of Richmond is a great place to float, fish, and camp. With over 250 miles of river in this section to choose from, a lifetime of recreation awaits you.  Nothing beats the joy of shoving off at the put-in and letting the river carry you away. A couple days on the James River will take you back in time, open your eyes to new dimensions of the natural world, and leave you and your trip-mates with a special bond around shared memories.

There are many outfitters on the river that can help with equipment, advice, and in some cases guided trips.

Check out the information below for contacting these outfitters.

• In Buchanan, Twin River Outfitters offers complete canoe trip services. http://canoevirginia.net/index.html

• In Natural Bridge Station, Wilderness Canoe Company offers a campground and livery service.http://www.wildernesscanoecampground.com/

• In Lynchburg, the James River Float Company provides an array of rental and guide services.    http://jamesriverfloatcompany.com/

• Near Scottsville, two companies provide canoe livery and camping options.

                James River Runners:  http://www.jamesriver.com/intro.htm
                James River Reeling and Rafting: http://www.reelingandrafting.com/

• In Richmond, Riverside Outfitters offers rental services as well as guided trips.

                http://www.riversideoutfitters.net

If you want to take on the challenge of planning your own trip, great!

Here are some resources and items to consider.

To start planning a trip, you have to think about where you want to camp. There are unfortunately not many public campgrounds. The most prevalent places to camp are on islands in the river, but in these cases you need to be prepared to camp without any services. If you come to an island that is not posted, you may assume that you can camp there, but don’t make this assumption about un-posted land on the “mainland” banks of the river. When camping on an island, you must remember that this means bringing all your water and being prepared to properly dispose of human waste (buried in a hole as far as possible from the river itself, or packed out. See http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles.php for environmentally ethical camping standards).  Of course anyone planning a river trip should be prepared to pack out all their trash. To really leave the river better than you found it, bring some extra trash bags and pack out other trash you find along the way.

For your first overnight trip on the James, a great choice is camping at James River State Park, just downriver of Bent Creek, VA. The following website is very helpful:  (http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/jam.shtml). You can put-in at Bent Creek, spend the night at the state park, and take out after paddling the next day at Wingina.

Check out the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Maps of the public access points on the James at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/waterbodies/display.asp?id=158&section=maps.

For planning successful trips, there are several print resources that are extraordinarily helpful:

• I would invest in a book of topographical maps called the Virginia Atlas and Gazeteer (available at most bookstores, some gas stations) which provide good detail and you can see islands for potential camping spots as well as actual campgrounds. This is my favorite resource for outdoor recreation in our great commonwealth.

• The Virginia Canals and Navigation Society carries an excellent series of map/guidebooks full of fascinating historical details on the James River. Produced by Dr. William Trout, these atlases are divided into the Upper James above Lynchburg, the” Batteau Festival Trail” (Lynchburg to Richmond), and the Falls of the James (the river around the city of Richmond). Find these atlases available at an online store at http://vacanals.org/store.

• The James River Association has a series of maps of the James from Lynchburg to Richmond, as well as a series for the lower James, that are great for planning canoe trips. They cost $5.00 and can be picked up at our office or could be mailed by special arrangement.

• Finally I would recommend the following book as a go-to resource for canoeing in Virginia.

  Virginia whitewater: A paddler's guide to the rivers of Virginia by H. Roger Corbett.

• Entertaining and informative reading on the history of the river and one man’s river trip is found in Journey on the James, by Earl Swift.

Fishing for the legendary James River smallmouth bass is a great way to pass the time on your float.

The James River is a great fishery, with smallmouth bass being the predominant target species upriver of Richmond. Channel catfish, various sunfish, gar, and even musky can also be had.

Fish in the James have been determined to contain toxins relating to industrial activity. The Virginia Department of Health publishes a fish advisory (see http://www.vdh.state.va.us/epidemiology/ DEE/publichealthtoxicology/ advisories/index.htm) Consult this before eating any fish. In general, most fish are safe to eat for two meals a month. There are exceptions to this however, so please refer to the Department of Health’s website.

If you see fish kills or lesions on fish, our Upper James Riverkeeper, David Sligh, needs to know this to help scientists figure out the water quality issues behind this. Please contact him with these or any other environmental concerns (call TOLL FREE: 1-800-366-9229. You do not have to leave your name, but it does help in case we need more information)

Let us know if you need more information or would like to get more involved with protecting our precious resource, “America’s Founding River.” We here at JRA are dedicated to protecting and restoring the James River and helping people access opportunities to explore and enjoy it.

For more information contact Gabe Silver, JRA Environmental Educator at gsilver@jrava.org.