Maury
5. Buena Vista to James River
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 11 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 9 fpm |
| Gauge | Maury River Near Buena Vista, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 34 minutes | 149 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 29, 2025 |
River Description
This run can be divided in half using the Miller Dam access on River Road, with the upper half having more rapids. In this part of the run, the three most significant class II rapids are at broken dam sites. The first has a notable horizon line, but there is a center chute, and the rapid can be avoided entirely by staying far left around the island. The other two broken dam sites have multiple chutes but are most easily run in the center. There are numerous other small rapids.
Fun run at 3 ft/900cfs and above on above gauge. Runnable at 2.6 / 650cfs but gets very boney at 2.4 / 450cfs. Good run is from Buena Vista to the bottom of the Balcony run on the James, but the gauge on the Maury needs to be at 3+ to get to the James that fast, a 16 mile paddle. Confluence Rapid at the James/Maury is considered a III. Very rocky drop, run river right.
See Also:
Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 253.
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 311.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 223.
River Features
Put in
Put in at Glen Maury Park, river right, just upstream of the 10th St. bridge. Concrete steps, boat slide, accessible ramp, ample parking. Put-in is also possible on the downstream side of the bridge at the end of Fisherman's Lane.
Access point - Miller's Dam
Miller's Dam is a river left access point just above an old dam and lock. It's a pullout along River Road with room for 5-6 vehicles and a short but steep access trail. There is a second access several yards downstream (shown in photo), just above the old lock, but it will be muddier in wet weather. There's probably space for a couple of vehicles here without blocking the access.
Take out
Take out at the boat ramp at Locher Landing in Glasgow, river right, just upstream of the railroad trestle and the confluence with the James. Ample parking, porta-potties. This access also serves as the put-in for the Balcony Falls section of the James River.