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Michigan to Virginia
- Thread starter Badger
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What part of Virginia? The geology is very different east-to-west here.
One enormous impediment to longer trips is that virtually all riverbank here is private land, and you have to rent a campsite or camp on an island (usually also private) below the high-water mark. They can certainly be done, though. There are tongues and pockets of National Forest or similar here and there. Most train systems piggyback the river valleys.
There's good day trips on the Cowpasture, Jackson, James, and a bunch of smaller creeks. We tend to less seasonal flow than northern rivers but you'll drag your keel in August. The 60 miles of the Upper James is a good 4-day trip, as is the Middle, but bring your own drinking water due to ag runoff. With one big hop around a series of dams, you can run the whole James for 220+/- miles into the Chesapeake, if you're okay with a tidal section below Richmond. The Bateau Festival in June/July is a delighful spectacle; people make barges out of green oak and run them from Lynchburg to Richmond.
The New River Gorge in West Virginia is rightly famous, though it's mostly whitewater kayaking (one guy built a bateau and ran it). Driving a few hours (depending on where you land) there are good trips in the Carolinas, but now might not be the time to plan them.
One enormous impediment to longer trips is that virtually all riverbank here is private land, and you have to rent a campsite or camp on an island (usually also private) below the high-water mark. They can certainly be done, though. There are tongues and pockets of National Forest or similar here and there. Most train systems piggyback the river valleys.
There's good day trips on the Cowpasture, Jackson, James, and a bunch of smaller creeks. We tend to less seasonal flow than northern rivers but you'll drag your keel in August. The 60 miles of the Upper James is a good 4-day trip, as is the Middle, but bring your own drinking water due to ag runoff. With one big hop around a series of dams, you can run the whole James for 220+/- miles into the Chesapeake, if you're okay with a tidal section below Richmond. The Bateau Festival in June/July is a delighful spectacle; people make barges out of green oak and run them from Lynchburg to Richmond.
The New River Gorge in West Virginia is rightly famous, though it's mostly whitewater kayaking (one guy built a bateau and ran it). Driving a few hours (depending on where you land) there are good trips in the Carolinas, but now might not be the time to plan them.
Welcome to Virginia. It's a diverse state with a variety of environments. MKH has given good advice. The Bateau Festival is sponsored by the Virginia Canals and Navigations Society https://www.vacanals.org/ IME the first day of the festival attracts the party crowd. After they fade away, the serious river trippers remain. There are prearranged campsites on private land. During the days of tobacco trade on the James, the batteaux were crewed in large part by enslaved people.
In addition to the upper James, the South Fork of the Shenandoah has stretches of National Forest with free camping. It's popular with novices and tourists, so go mid-week if you are able to avoid the crowds.
The Coastal Canoeists are a statewide paddling club with day trips on most weekends. The annual fall gathering is Oct. 19th. It includes a 9 mile day trip on a scenic part of the South Fork, as well as a potluck dinner with great food. Dues are $20. www.coastals.org
The Canoe Cruisers are another great paddling club in the DC area https://www.canoecruisers.org/
In addition to the upper James, the South Fork of the Shenandoah has stretches of National Forest with free camping. It's popular with novices and tourists, so go mid-week if you are able to avoid the crowds.
The Coastal Canoeists are a statewide paddling club with day trips on most weekends. The annual fall gathering is Oct. 19th. It includes a 9 mile day trip on a scenic part of the South Fork, as well as a potluck dinner with great food. Dues are $20. www.coastals.org
The Canoe Cruisers are another great paddling club in the DC area https://www.canoecruisers.org/
Here's another thread related to paddling Virginia:
I had a lovely 4-day trip on the Upper James this past May, from Eagle Rock to Snowden.
River Advice for Virginia or thereabouts
I go on a canoe trip with a reasonably experienced group of men every year (we average about ten people in five tandem boats) and the mantle of trip-leader gets passed around between a smaller contingent. This year, a friend from Richmond, Virginia is organizing the trip and thinks he might...
www.canoetripping.net
I had a lovely 4-day trip on the Upper James this past May, from Eagle Rock to Snowden.
Badger, here is a link to the Upper James River Water Trail website:
upperjamesriverwatertrail.com
And here is a website about the upper, middle, and lower sections of the James. The Middle James, Lynchburg to Richmond, is basically the route of the Bateau Festival:
thejamesriver.org
Maps - The Upper James River Water Trail
The James River starts at the confluence of the Jackson and Cowpasture Rivers in Botetourt County north of Roanoke, Virginia. Roughly 46 miles of river flow through the county before crossing into neighboring Rockbridge County for approximately 20 more miles. The Water Trail also encompasses a...
upperjamesriverwatertrail.com
And here is a website about the upper, middle, and lower sections of the James. The Middle James, Lynchburg to Richmond, is basically the route of the Bateau Festival:
James River Maps | James River Association
thejamesriver.org
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