Catawba Creek
Fincastle (Route 616) to James R. (Route 726)
| Difficulty | I-III |
| Length | 14.8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Catawba Creek Near Catawba, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 13 minutes | 11 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 22, 2024 |
River Description
See Also:
Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 206.
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 241.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 172.
River Features
Put In
Kyles Mill access - Rt. 635
River right downstream side of bridge.
Catawba Creek Rd. - Rt. 695
River left
Take Out - James confluence
River left. Park along the James and take out there if possible. Lots of posted signs.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportLots and lots of flat water and cow fields. One short section of ledges. Not worth the drive or the paddle to get there, quite the waste of a high water day. We paddled from Fincastle to the James 742 by the hunt club as described in Corbet, never did find that 'gorge like committing constant class III rapids' he described.
There are other sections of Catawba Creek that offers mild whitewater..There is also a dam near the landfill/cement plant that is runnable on center left(when the water pouring over lip is about 3/4 paddle length deep,-dont mess up boof,or pencil..,runnable only at higher water smaller ledges further downstream..cam h