Bruce Ingram

Just 30 minutes or so down I-581 and up I-81from Downtown Roanoke lies two floats ideal for Roanoke area families. Indeed, my daughter Sarah’s maiden voyage down the James with me was the Springwood excursion. And when my son Mark took his initial trip down the James, my wife Elaine and I chose the Narrow Passage to Springwood junket. These two getaways, Narrow Passage to Springwood (3 miles) and Springwood to Buchanan (4 miles) combined or as separate trips are ideal ones for parents with kids and/or for couples new to river running says John Mays, owner of Twin River Outfitters, located adjacent to the ramp at Buchanan. “The two floats are ones we recommend for tubers and kayakers, especially if they haven’t done much or any river paddling,” says Mays. “There’s only one Class II rapid in that whole section and it’s easy to avoid.” That rapid is Ritchie Falls, which looms just downstream from the Narrow Passage ramp and immediately past two scenic river left bluffs. Ritchie likewise lies on river left, and it’s a simple matter to avoid the Class II by paddling to far river right and scooting through a series of ledges. If the James is low, you can walk your boat through these ledges.