Virginia whitewater - James River, Blue Ridge Mountains, Botetourt County

Botetourt county, Route 43 to Route 630 section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS I-II     16.5 miles
  Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Virginia are easier than the national norm, so better not forget that rivers here are less demanding. The natural beauty of Botetourt County and the water flowing gracefully down James River are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. This stretch of James River in Virginia is 16.5 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class I-II section. Great exercise and just hanging out with mother nature will have you coming back for more. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the
    river if you want to stay the night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. The starting point is not too far from Roanoke, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The Blue Ridge Mountains scenery is wonderful.
If you hurry you can run this stretch in a day but why not make it an overnighter, so go ahead and pack your sleeping bag. This river system has a few good paddling stretches and the Route 43 to Route 630 section is one of them. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this is an area with plenty of spots for that. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby.

Briefly about the general area:
Summertime at James River arrives with high temperatures in the 80's. Throughout the
 
dark hours of summer temperatures fall down into the 60's. Daytime highs through the wintertime are in the 40's, and overnight lows in the 20's for James River.
An average amount of precipitation falls at James River; July is when you get the most rain here; the driest month of the year is February.

James River, Route 43 to Route 630 road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: I-II
Length: 16.5 miles
Average Gradient: 4 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.6388
Longitude: -79.80021

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.54719
Longitude: -79.7428

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Current weather conditions at James River, Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia
WXPort

Local climate location: COVINGTON FILT PLANT 16 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Roanoke-Daystop Troutville, Troutville
13 miles away
The Daystop in Troutville, Virginia offers the weary traveler an opportunity to stay the night in a very clean room at a reasonable price. Enjoy the beautiful Roanoke Valley and our Southern Hospital...

Holiday Inn Express Roanoke-Northeast(Troutville),, Troutville
14 miles away
The Holiday Inn Express Roanoke Northeast is located in Troutville VA in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Explore the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway with access within 5 miles of the hotel, and Roano...

Red Roof Inn Roanoke - Troutville, Troutville
14 miles away
Easily accessible from I-81, the Roanoke - Troutville Red Roof Inn is conveniently located near a variety of area restaurants. This Inn features interior corridors, an indoor heated pool and hot tub ...



OTHER_INFO
  Blue Ridge Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Blue Ridge Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Blue Ridge Mountains.

All Virginia Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Virginia.
Books about whitewater paddling on James River, Virginia
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on James River, Virginia.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Virginia

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Roanoke, Virginia
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Roanoke, Virginia, the metro area neareast to James River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near James River.
 Whitewater Near James River:
Catawba Creek, Botetourt County , 5 miles away, Class I-III - 12 miles long (Fincastle to James River)
Jennings Creek, Botetourt County , 11 miles away, Class II-III - 4.5 miles long (Route 614 to James River)
Roaring Run, Botetourt County , 11 miles away, Class V+ - 1.2 miles long (County line to Recreation Area)
North Creek, Botetourt County , 12 miles away, Class II-IV - 2.5 miles long (Campground to Jennings Creek)
Cowpasture River, Botetourt County , 13 miles away, Class I-II - 13.5 miles long (Griffith to James River)
Simpson Creek, Alleghany County , 13 miles away, Class II-III - 6.5 miles long (Truckstop to Route 60)
Wilson Creek, Alleghany County , 15 miles away, Class II-III - 7.5 miles long (Douthat Park Dam to Jackson River)
Jackson River, Alleghany County , 16 miles away, Class I-II - 42.5 miles long (Gathright Dam to James River)
Colliers Creek, Rockbridge County , 17 miles away, Class II-III - 4 miles long (Collierstown to Buffalo Creek)
Buffalo Creek, Rockbridge County , 20 miles away, Class I-III - 12.5 miles long (Effinger to Buffalo Forge)
 Ski Areas Near James River:
The Homestead, Virginia , 21 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Snowshoe, West Virginia , 47 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Wintergreen, Virginia , 60 miles away, 1003 vertical feet
Canaan Valley, West Virginia , 81 miles away, 850 vertical feet
Massanutten, Virginia , 83 miles away, 1100 vertical feet
Timberline, West Virginia , 83 miles away, 1000 vertical feet
Winterplace, West Virginia , 93 miles away, 603 vertical feet
Bryce Resort, Virginia , 97 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Wisp, Maryland , 111 miles away, 610 vertical feet
Seven Springs, Pennsylvania , 137 miles away, 750 vertical feet
 Hotels Near James River:
Roanoke-Daystop Troutville, Troutville , 13 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Roanoke-Northeast(Troutville),, Troutville , 14 miles away
Red Roof Inn Roanoke - Troutville, Troutville , 14 miles away
Howard Johnson Inn Daleville, Daleville , 14 miles away
Super 8 Daleville/Roanoke, Daleville , 14 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near James River:
Wonderful Life Campground, Buchanan, 7 miles away
Douthat State Park, Millboro, 13 miles away
Craig Creek Campground, Botetourt County, 13 miles away
 Trails Near James River:
Hammond Hollow Trail, Botetourt County , 8 miles away
Spec Mines Trail, Botetourt County , 8 miles away
Curry Creek Trail, Botetourt County , 10 miles away
McFalls Ridge Trail, Botetourt County , 11 miles away
Cove Mountain Trail, Botetourt County , 11 miles away
 National Parks Near James River:
Booker T Washington National Monument, Hardy - VA , 23 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater