James
1. Eagle Rock (Route 43) to Springwood (Route 630)
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 17 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 4 fpm |
| Gauge | James River at Buchanan, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 58 minutes | 700 cfslow runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | August 18, 2024 |
River Description
Very mellow run, mostly flat water with small ledges. Good putin for a couple day paddle to the Snowden dam (Balcony run). Lots of national forest land to camp on, and very private. One could paddle to Alpine and camp overnight, then paddle to Natural Bridge, camp and takeout at the bottom of the Balcony run. Great smallmouth on entire reach..
See Also:
Upper James Water Trail for excellent maps and other info.
Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 224.
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 278.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 196.
River Features
Put In
Put in at the Craig Creek access where Rt. 220 crosses the creek, river right. Alternatively, use Last Lock park on river left, upstream of Eagle Rock and across and downstream of the Craig Creek confluence.
Horseshoe Bend access
Horseshoe Bend boat ramp, river left.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportI paddled from Eagle Rock to Horseshoe Bend at 1800cfs on the Buchanan gauge (12 miles, 3.5 hours). I paddled pretty consistently without much stopping. Many welcome riffles but also some looong pools, especially in the last 4 miles or so. This stretch is best for fishing and camping. Some scenic cliffs and good water quality.
Ran this stretch 7/27 - 7/28/2020. Beautiful scenery, as well as eagles, osprey, and a flock of merganser ducks. 900 cfs, so not much excitement, but mighty pleasant. Eagle Rock to Horseshoe Bend we did in 4.5 hours but we were humping it. Probably figure 5 - 6 for a more leisurely float with lunch and swimming breaks.