Jackson
2. Poor Farm Rd. (Rt. 623) to Hidden Valley
| Difficulty | I-II(III) |
| Length | 7 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 21 fpm |
| Gauge | Jackson River Near Bacova, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 29 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 2, 2025 |
River Description
This is a great run if you are looking for scenery, solitude, and quiet with minimal whitewater. There's good public access at both ends and wilderness in between (there are some trails along the river however). Great for a tandem canoe trip. A couple of miles from the put-in bridge, there is a class II or low III ledgy rapid identifiable by a horizon line. You can scout/portage on river right. At most flows, enter far river left, with a right angle. However, this rapid is an outlier, and the rest of the trip is fairly mellow. Note that guidebook authors Grove and Gertler have described this section accurately, while Corbett says 'most of the rapids are solid Class 3' which is not accurate. Perhaps he paddled it at very high water or was thinking of Richardson Gorge downstream. In any case, this section is very much worth paddling, just don't expect much whitewater excitement.
See Also:
Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 218.
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 268.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 192.
River Features
Put In
Put in river right just downstream of the Poor Farm bridge, not far from Rt. 220.
Class II+ rapid
Horizon line above ledgy class II+ or III- rapid depending on water level. At low to moderate flows, enter far left and angle back to the right.
Take Out
Take out river left at the Hidden Valley parking area, just upstream of the low water bridge.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportHidden Valley section, 350 Bacova
Hidden Valley section, 350 Bacova
Hidden Valley section, 350 Bacova
Paddled the Hidden Valley section (starting at the Poor Farm bridge) at 350 on the Bacova gauge a couple of years ago and have been meaning to post this in case anyone else was influenced by Corbett's highly misleading description in Virginia Whitewater. This is a pretty section of river and apparently has good fishing, but there is only one class 2 rapid, a broken ledge that will be obvious due to the horizon line it creates. (Corbett says 'most of the rapids are solid Class 3'). This section is probably best paddled in a tandem canoe with fishing rods. (Also not sure why the Bacova gauge isn't used for this run- seems much better than a gauge on another stream).