Virginia whitewater - James River, Blue Ridge Mountains, Rockbridge/ Amherst County

Rockbridge/ Amherst county, Glasgow to Snowdon section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II-III     5 miles
 
Not great size untill Balcony falls, Run the falls from just river right of center to river left to avoid a sometimes hidden rock. Great place to surf. River left is a large boulder. if you padle up the eddy of this rock and then murge into the falls you can catch a great wave. Very short rapid so it is perfect for begginners looking to advance thie abilities. Very hard on a canoe. Says Matt Hitchcock

Whitewater rafting and kayaking in Virginia is often easier than elsewhere, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that rivers here are not
    as hard as elsewhere. This stretch of James River in Rockbridge/ Amherst County is 5 miles long and has been rated as a class II-III section by American Whitewater. If you're coming from Lynchburg it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, as you can see on the road
map further down. This stretch has has enough mileage, you can easily run it on an afternoon. Whitewater paddling here in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a great experience. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way in this general area you'll find lots of paddling spots. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. There are some good stretches to paddle in this river system, the Glasgow to Snowdon stretch is one of them. Getting a good workout and  
a chance to spend some time outdoors are sure to keep you coming back for more. The beautiful scenery of Rockbridge/ Amherst County and the cool fresh water make the trip here worthwhile. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby.

Briefly about the general area:
While you're here at James River you can take a hike along the Rocky Row Trail, and if the weather is good, you can go for a hike along the Piney Ridge Trail. But wait, there's more enjoyable things to do in the Blue Ridge Mountains. James River commonly gets a good deal of precipitation; the month with most of the rain is July while January is the month with the least amount of precipitation.
All through the warm days of summer at James River temperatures are frequently in the 80's. Once the sun is down it drops down to the 60's. For the period of the winter highs are in the 40's, and nighttime lows at James River all through the winter usually dip into the 20's.

James River, Glasgow to Snowdon road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II-III
Length: 5 miles
Average Gradient: 11 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.62546
Longitude: -79.4452

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 37.60689
Longitude: -79.40027

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

Local climate location: LEXINGTON 13 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Red Carpet Inn Lexington, Lexington
9 miles away
Red Carpet Inn Lexington is 5 minutes from Downtown Historic Lexington, Virginia Military Institute and Washington Lee Univeristy. The best restaurants are within 5 minutes from the Inn. Natural Bridg...

Holiday Inn Express Lexington, Va, Lexington
10 miles away
Beautifully located in the heart of Historic Lexington, Virginia. Perfectly located with easy access to both Interstates 81 and 64. Local Attractions include: Natural Bridge, Virgina Horse Center, V...

Best Western Lexington Inn, Lexington
10 miles away
Go back in time to the civil war era while staying at this new and unique Virginia hotel! The Best Western Lexington Inn is a great setting for vacationers and those traveling on business. Full-serv...



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 Lynchburg, Virginia
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Lynchburg, 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:
Maury River, Rockbridge County , 8 miles away, Class II(III) - 32 miles long (Rockbridge Baths to James River)
Hay's Creek, Rockbridge County , 8 miles away, Class II-III(V+) - 1.25 miles long (Eastfields to Walker's Creek)
Buffalo Creek, Rockbridge County , 9 miles away, Class I-III - 12.5 miles long (Effinger to Buffalo Forge)
Marl Creek, Rockbridge County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 0.2 miles long (roadside Route 706)
Pedlar River, Amherst County , 10 miles away, Class II-III - 14 miles long (Below Lynchburg Reservoir to Route 640)
Pedlar River, Amherst County , 12 miles away, Class I(II) - 6 miles long (Route 640 to Highway 130)
Pedlar River, Amherst County , 12 miles away, Class I-III - 3 miles long (Highway 130 to James River)
North Creek, Botetourt County , 13 miles away, Class II-IV - 2.5 miles long (Campground to Jennings Creek)
Colliers Creek, Rockbridge County , 13 miles away, Class II-III - 4 miles long (Collierstown to Buffalo Creek)
Jennings Creek, Botetourt County , 15 miles away, Class II-III - 4.5 miles long (Route 614 to James River)
 Ski Areas Near James River:
The Homestead, Virginia , 36 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Wintergreen, Virginia , 37 miles away, 1003 vertical feet
Snowshoe, West Virginia , 59 miles away, 1500 vertical feet
Massanutten, Virginia , 63 miles away, 1100 vertical feet
Canaan Valley, West Virginia , 76 miles away, 850 vertical feet
Timberline, West Virginia , 78 miles away, 1000 vertical feet
Bryce Resort, Virginia , 80 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Wisp, Maryland , 106 miles away, 610 vertical feet
Winterplace, West Virginia , 117 miles away, 603 vertical feet
Seven Springs, Pennsylvania , 132 miles away, 750 vertical feet
 Hotels Near James River:
Red Carpet Inn Lexington, Lexington , 9 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Lexington, Va, Lexington , 10 miles away
Best Western Lexington Inn, Lexington , 10 miles away
Holiday Inn Express LEXINGTON, Lexington , 10 miles away
Country Inn And Suites By Carlson Lexington, Lexington , 10 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near James River:
Yogi Bear's Jellystone At Natural Bridge, Natural Bridge Station, 6 miles away
Smith Tract Campground, Rockbridge County, 8 miles away
Natural Bridge Koa, Natural Bridge, 9 miles away
 Trails Near James River:
Rocky Row Trail, Rockbridge County , 1 miles away
Piney Ridge Trail, Bedford County , 2 miles away
Balcony Falls Trail, Rockbridge County , 2 miles away
Sulphur Ridge Trail, Bedford County , 3 miles away
Sulphur Spring Trail, Bedford County , 3 miles away
 National Parks Near James River:
Booker T Washington National Monument, Hardy - VA , 33 miles away
 Lakes Near James River

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Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater