Rush
Washington (Old Route 211) to Rock Mills (Route 622)
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 5.3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 30 fpm |
| Gauge | Battle Run Near Laurel Mills, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 14 minutes | 7 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 9, 2024 |
River Description
The Rock Mills takeout can also be used for whitewater sections of the Covington and Thornton.
Ed Evangelidi testifies:
The Rush certainly is appropriately named, especially in the upper parts. The 'old' Rte. 211 bridge just above the present highway was severely damaged in a flood and replaced with a bridge that is much higher. With it went a handy painted gauge. Therefore the best rough gauge now is to go to the small park just downstream from the highway and look at the gravely rapid just downstream. If it is marginal, the whole trip may be an annoyance. This creek competes with the nearby Covington as to which falls first. So donÂt assume that they will both be either up or not, even though they roughly require and get the same rainfall. There is a wire fence just downstream from a sharp left turn in the creek. It has a tiny eddy on the left just at the fence. Don't crowd your probe and when you see wire fences along the banks and come to a sharp left turn, be on the lookout. You can usually have someone stand in the cold water and lift the wires to let the others through. This small creek has numerous surf spots from top to bottom.
See Also:
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 157.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 141.
River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThe river was at a nice medium level. The whole area got around 2.7 inches of rain the day before (see rain gauges on www.ambientweather.net). Battle Run peaked at midnight and had mostly dropped out by the time I put on (9 AM). But we had a good rain a few days before and the Rush is a lot bigger than Battle Run. The Covington was medium-low. Hopefully this helps people make the call in the future.
At this medium level there was only one class III rapid, but there was plenty of II+. It was really chill overall except for the wood. As is to be expected on a creek like this, there were several riverwide trees and some were in tricky. So overall this is a good run for beginning creekers.
I'd rate the Rush as a little harder and defintiely tighter than the Thornton (as I recall from years ago). The Covington is also harder than the Rush.
Ran the Rush yesterday (3-12-11) and there were no barbed wire fences, but several downed trees.