The story below is from our May/June 2021 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Plan your next local water adventure with these fun float recommendations!
Roanoke area outdoors enthusiasts are fortunate to live within an hour or so of four major waterways: the James and Maury to the north, the New to the south and the Roanoke River as it flows through Salem and the Star City. Here are float trips for couples with kids, duos who enjoy fly and/or spin fishing and couples who relish the thrill of white water.
Easy Float Trips for Couples (With or Without Children)
James Revercomb, manager of Roanoke Mountain Adventures, notes that couples with or without children have several options in the Roanoke-Salem area.
“Parents with young kids can put in at Rutrough Point at Explore Park and paddle upstream for a mile or so to the first rapid, then float back,” he says. “It’s very gentle water, and the scenery and wildlife watching are both outstanding.”
Indeed they are, as both banks are heavily wooded and Revercomb says he has observed as many as a dozen great blue herons in one area.
For couples who want close-to-home quality time outdoors or for parents with older children or teenagers, two possibilities exist, continues Revercomb. Salem Rotary Park to Wasena Park (5.5 miles) hosts a few Class I and II rapids. Though this section runs through Salem and Roanoke and paddlers can hear the urban sounds of the two municipalities, the tree-lined shorelines and the wildlife (songbirds, mallards, wood ducks and the occasional deer) may make them think they’re out in the country.
The other excursion is from Smith Park to the 13th Street Bridge (5 miles). Revercomb relates that paddlers should be aware of a river left Class II. The rapid lies next to a silver industrial building about halfway through the trip. Avoid this rapid by portaging it or skirting it on river right. This getaway, which lies within the heart of the city, offers the additional benefit of paddlers being able to view the Mill Mountain Star.
Revercomb also says the Salem Rotary Park and Smith Park junkets offer quality fishing as well. I’ve caught smallmouth bass, and rainbow, brown, and brook trout on the former and smallmouths, rock bass and redbreast sunfish on the latter.
Float Trips for Couples Who Enjoy Fly or Spin Fishing
Scenic floats with quality angling are possible on a number of local getaways. And for Britt and Leigh Stoudenmire, who operate the New River Outdoor Company (NROC), one of the trips that is rich in beauty, bass, and even history is Eggleston to Pembroke (6 miles).
“The Palisades, Horseshoe Bend, and Castle Rock cliffs really characterize this float,” says Leigh. “These are dolomite cliffs that have sheer rock faces hundreds of feet tall. When we shuttle folks, I love to tell the story of how Mary Draper Ingles scaled the Palisades Cliffs as part of her escape from the Shawnee in 1755.”
Britt notes that this trip’s major rapid, the Class II Price’s Falls, is usually only a problem when water levels are below normal. Expect to catch plenty of smallmouths between 12 and 16 inches with bigger bass a possibility. The best time to fish is during what the Stoudenmires call “bug season” when cicadas are hatching. The NROC offers guided fishing trips in rafts, plus canoe and kayak rental for anyone who stays at their Walker Creek Cabins.
David Hopkins lives on the Maury and rates the Rockbridge Bath to Bean’s Bottom (13.5 miles) getaway as outstanding.
“It’s a long trip so paddlers and fishermen will have to plan on a full day,” he said. “The best smallmouth action takes place below the Class I and II rapids. I would sum up the Rockbridge Baths trip as filled with Class II and two Class III rapids, mountainous settings and spectacular views, and with paddlers having a good chance to see bald eagles.”
The Rockbridge Bath float lies in a very rural area and doesn’t receive a great deal of fishing pressure. Like much of the Maury, river levels are more conducive to floating from early to mid-summer. Afterwards, paddlers may have to drag their craft through some shallow areas. Also, the two Class III rapids will require portaging, so this is not a trip for novice paddlers.
On the James River, one of the most fetching floats for anglers (as well as couples with children) is from Springwood to Buchanan (3.6 miles). No major rapids exist, and the section flaunts both smallmouth bass and musky, notes Ken Trail who operates Rock on Charters.
“It’s the easiest section to float on the entire James,” says Trail. “The musky on this section run 30 to 50 inches.”
Float Trips for Thrill Seeking Couples
Looking for rip-roaring rapids and adventure? Britt Stoudenmire rates the Pembroke to Bluff City (9 1/2 miles) excursion as the best whitewater one on the New below Claytor Lake. The major rapid on the getaway is the Class II-III Clendenin Shoals, but the float harbors numerous Class I and II rapids as well.
“The first Class II is not far below the Pembroke put-in,” Stoudenmire says. “And after you paddle below Ripplemead, the rapids start coming pretty regularly. Clendenin Shoals can be very challenging, especially in high water.”
The Pembroke float is best attempted by couples who are at least intermediate paddlers, emphasizes Stoudenmire.
Ken Trail believes the James River’s Glasgow to Snowden (5½ miles) trip, which is part of the James River Face Wilderness, combines excellent fishing and whitewater.
“The Glasgow float runs through a mountain gorge and has some well-known rapids like the Class III Balcony Falls and the Class II Little Balcony,” he says. “The fishing for smallmouth bass is outstanding, and camping is possible in the national forest along the river right shore.”
From placid floats in downtown Roanoke to bucket list experiences in a nationally designated wilderness area, float trip opportunities abound in our area.
Paddling Rules
If you have any doubt about paddling through a rapid, portage it.
Always check water levels before undertaking any float.
Everyone inside a boat should wear personal flotation devices at all times.
Contact local liveries for current river information.
Consult USGS Current Water Data website: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/va/nwis/rt
If You Go:
- New River Outdoor Company: (540-921-7438), newriveroutdoorco.com
- Roanoke Mountain Adventures: (540-525-8295), roanokemountainadventures.com
- Rock On Charters: (844-347-4682), rockoncharters.net
- Twin Rivers Outfitters: (540-254-8012), canoevirginia.net. Offers boat rental and shuttles for James and Maury.
The story above is from our May/June 2021 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!