Virginia whitewater, Cowpasture River Alleghany Botetourt county, Shaw Fork to Route 625 bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-III     24.5 miles   The scenic beauty of Alleghany/Botetourt County and the cool fresh water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state are often easier than in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that many of the rivers in this state are not very demanding. This stretch of Cowpasture River in Virginia is 24.5 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class I-III section of whitewater.     There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. If you're coming from Staunton-Waynesboro it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. Getting some good exercise and just being out on the river for a while are great attractions for lots of people. 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.   There are some good sections to paddle in this river system, the Shaw Fork to Route 625 bridge section is one of them. Briefly about the general area: Barracks Draft is close to Cowpasture River and is a great site, and the Jerkemtight Trail is a good hiking trail close by. A cool spot to have a look at close to Cowpasture River is Byrd Point; if the weather is great, you can go for a hike along the Marshall Draft Trail. At this river you will always have a good time. Cowpasture River is a place with many visitors from Mc Dowell. Summertime at Cowpasture River arrives with high temperatures in the 80's, and all through the night it cools down to the 50's. Cowpasture River, Shaw Fork to Route 625 bridge road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Cowpasture River.   Whitewater Near Cowpasture River: Bullpasture River, Highland\Bath County, 4 miles away       Class III+ - 4 miles long (Rt. 678 to Cowpasture River) Calfpasture River, Augusta/Rockbridge County, 8 miles away       Class I-II - 11.5 miles long (Route 687 to Goshen) Calfpasture River, Augusta/Rockbridge County, 8 miles away       Class II - 8 miles long (Route 692 to Route 687) Bullpasture River, Highland/Bath County, 9 miles away       Class I-II - 10 miles long (Route 250 to Route 678) Crab Run, Highland County, 9 miles away       Class II-III - 3 miles long (Along Route 250 to McDowell) Mill Creek, Rockbridge County, 10 miles away       Class II-III - 7.5 miles long (Route 42 Wayside to Goshen) Jackson River, Bath/ Alleghany County, 10 miles away       Class I-III - 28.5 miles long (Vinegar Run to Route 603) Cowpasture River, Alleghany/Botetourt County, 11 miles away       Class I-III - 24.5 miles long (Shaw Fork to Route 625 bridge) Calfpasture River, Augusta/Rockbridge County, 11 miles away       Class I-II - 4 miles long (Goshen to Maury River) Shaws Fork, Highland County, 12 miles away       Class II-III - 4.5 miles long (Headwaters to Liberty)   Ski Areas Near Cowpasture River: The Homestead, Virginia , 25 miles away, 700 foot drop, 5 lifts, 9 runs Snowshoe, West Virginia , 33 miles away, 1500 foot drop, 14 lifts, 57 runs Wintergreen, Virginia , 44 miles away, 1003 foot drop, 5 lifts, 20 runs Canaan Valley, West Virginia , 45 miles away, 850 foot drop, 4 lifts, 34 runs Timberline, West Virginia , 48 miles away, 1000 foot drop, 4 lifts, 37 runs Massanutten, Virginia , 56 miles away, 1110 foot drop, 8 lifts, 14 runs Bryce Resort, Virginia , 64 miles away, 500 foot drop, 5 lifts, 8 runs Wisp, Maryland , 76 miles away, 700 foot drop, 12 lifts, 32 runs   Hotels Near Cowpasture River: Days Inn Lexington, Lexington , 22 miles away The Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs , 22 miles away Days Inn Lexington, Lexington , 22 miles away Howard Johnson Inn Lexington, Lexington , 22 miles away Quality Inn & Suites Lexington, Lexington , 22 miles away   Campgrounds Near Cowpasture River: Cowpasture River Access - DGIF, Williamsville, 2 miles away Cold Sulphur Campground, Goshen, 13 miles away Bear Mountain Farm and Wilderness Retreat, Hightown, 13 miles away   Trails Near Cowpasture River: Marshall Draft Trail, Bath , 1 miles away Jerkemtight Trail, Highland , 2 miles away Hupman Valley Trail, Highland , 3 miles away Walker Mountain Trail, Augusta , 6 miles away Benson Run Trail, Highland , 6 miles away   Public Lands Near Cowpasture River: Booker T Washington National Monument, Hardy - VA , 57 miles away Seneca State Forest, West Virginia , 23 miles away Douthat State Park, Virginia , 24 miles away Cass Railroad State Park, West Virginia , 30 miles away   Lakes Near Cowpasture River Puffenbarger Pond, Augusta , 20 miles away