Clinch
3. St. Paul to Dungannon
| Difficulty | II |
| Length | 17 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Clinch River at Cleveland, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 245 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 25, 2024 |
River Description
Long easy trip for some fun in a canoe or a playboat when it is in flood.
Some waves and holes here and there, but mainly flat moving water except for the still hole at Millers Yard after the Guest and Little Stony confluences with the Clinch.
If you paddle from St Paul, you can stop at the first major tributary on RR and a short distance upstream is a nice waterfall. But don't drag the boats, it is unrunnable. Unless you're stoopid. This falls lands on rocks and in a 12' deep pool. Not going to happen, don't care who you are.
Makes for a good photo tho.
See Also:
Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 327.
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 398.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 364.
River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThere is a very dangerous series of undercut rocks approximately 7 miles downstream of St. Paul, approximately 1/2 mile upstream of the Carfax takeout. When the railroad tracks go into a tunnel on river left, look for a rock garden and what appears to be a minor rapid. This is actually a very dangerous area, with undercut rocks on center-right and center-left. The river divides into three channels, none of which are passable except at high water. The river right channel funnels under a nasty overhanging rock. What appears to be a center right channel from upstream actually doesn't go through; most of the water flows under the big rock on center left. The center left channel, to the left of the large rock, loses its water halfway through the drop, creating pin hazards. If you are unlucky enough to get caught in the middle of the river, be particularly careful with the large center rock, which has large volumes of water flowing directly under it. I recommend portaging on the right; there is no safe passage at normal water levels. This is the only hazard on this stretch of river except for some occasional wood.
Zack Fields hehe....................................................
This spot is not as bad as listed. Ran the river last thursday at around 1200 cfs. River right is good and takes you away from any undercuts. The rock in the center is the only one that really has the potential for danger. A hole forms on the right of the rock and the water pours back over towardt the undercut. But far right is good.This rapid you are referring to is called the Bellamy Hole.
Located between Oxbow Park and Industrial Park put in. Can see by walking path at industrial park. 103cfs at time of picture.
I believe the author of the 2008-08-08 comment was referring to the Carfax takeout, not Carbo. The rapid with obvious undercuts is not the ledge at the Rt. 58 bridge, it is the last drop before Carfax. You can recognize the entrance because there are several boulders in the middle of the river before the drop.
This comment is for the 2008-08-08 comment - If you are 7 miles downstream of St. Paul there is no way possible that the spot you speak of is 1/2 mile up stream of the Carbo takeout. Because St. Paul is 7 miles from Carbo. I think you meant the major rapid IS at the 58 Bridge AT St. Paul