Roanoke River: America's Best Urban Kayaking Spot

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The story below is a preview from our March/April 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you! 

We take a look at several urban locations to launch your kayak.

For those who know the Roanoke River best, it comes as no surprise that the waterway won the 2022 USA Today Readers’ Choice Travel Award for Best Urban Kayaking Spot. Jeff Raines, general manager for Roanoke Mountain Adventures (RMA), certainly believes the stream deserves its accolade. “The Roanoke’s number one virtue would have to be its accessibility,” he says. “It’s easy to put in and take out along the river. Second, the Roanoke has many trips that people with beginning or intermediate skills can take. Of course, we work with beginning paddlers so they can learn the basic strokes.” Conversely, continues Raines, the Roanoke also boasts an excursion with outstanding whitewater for expert paddlers, as well as getaways that feature rural auras and outstanding angling. Here’s a closer look at some of these floats.

SALEM ROTARY PARK TO WASENA PARK (5.5 MILES)

Bob Dagley, a construction supply salesman from Roanoke County, rates the Salem Rotary Park to Wasena Park junket as his favorite. “It’s pretty unique to have a trip like this in an urban area,” he says. “There are times when you feel like you’re way out in the country, but there are also times when you hear jackhammers and traffic. I’m primarily a fisherman, so I like the fact that I can catch both smallmouth and trout on the Rotary Park float. There are very few rivers in Virginia where you can catch both of those fish.” Class I rapids, riffles and pools dominate this float, making it a good one for beginning and intermediate paddlers.

ROANOKE RIVER OVERLOOK (MILEPOST 114.9) TO EXPLORE PARK/RUTROUGH POINT (3.0 MILES)

For whitewater fun, the excursion from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Explore Park, often known locally as the “gorge,” flaunts some of the most intense rapids in the region says Sean Bryant, adventure coordinator for RMA. “The gorge is no place for novices or intermediate paddlers unless they are with a guide or someone who is an excellent paddler,” he says. “This is the most challenging float on the Roanoke and one which really has a wilderness feel. Kayakers who like to surf through Class II and III rapids really enjoy taking this trip.” Potential paddlers should be aware that the pathway to the river right boat slide descends for about a half-mile down a steep mountainside. This trip also probably offers kayakers their best chance to glimpse a bald eagle on the Roanoke, says Bryant.

WAYSIDE PARK TO GREEN HILL PARK (7 MILES)

Bill Tanger, chairman of the Friends of Rivers of Virginia, recommends the Wayside to Green Hill Park junket, especially because of the improvements made at the put-in. The Roanoke County resident says a new concrete ramp is in place and riprap has been added on both sides to prevent erosion. Parking spaces have been created and more are planned. But improved access aside, this is a marvelous getaway. “The Wayside float is the most remote on the Roanoke, and basically also the farthest upstream trip that people would want to take because of low water and other factors,” Tanger says. “Most of the trip takes place in rural Roanoke County; the banks are heavily wooded in most places, and there’s a Class II rapid and two Class I-plusses. “I think paddlers will also enjoy seeing a beautiful old railroad trestle, and there are several cobble beaches where people can stop to eat a shore lunch. There are even some pools that would make good swimming holes.”

Want to learn about more places along the Roanoke River perfect for launching your kayak? Check out the latest issue, now on newsstands, or see it for free in our digital guide linked below!

The story above is a preview from our March/April 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!