Shenandoah, N. Fork
1.) Bergton Rd. at Bergton VA (German River/Crab Run conf.) to Little Dry River conf. (Little Dry Rd near Fulks Run)
| Difficulty | I-III |
| Length | 9.2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 10 fpm |
| Gauge | N F Shenandoah River at Cootes Store, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 43 minutes | 2.57 ftbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | October 4, 2024 |
River Description
Rt 820 to the confluence with the Little Dry River is a great little run! Ran at 4.3ft. Only hazards are 2 concrete fords (portage), low bridge (fine today, but will be trouble at 6ft), one 2/3 river wide strainer (sneak on right), and a massive river wide strainer pile extravaganza (obvious portage). All visible from a distance. I'd advise against taking a complete beginner due to the small size of the eddies above hazards. An advanced beginner or intermediate paddler would be fine. Approx. 9 miles.
See Also:
Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 168.
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 101.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 38.
River Features
Put In - Bergton (German River/Crab Run confluence)
Put-in - Bergton Rd. at Bergton VA (German River/Crab Run conf.)
Lairs Run Rd
Lairs Run Rd - Intermediate Access Point
Serpent Rock rapid
Serpent Rock rapid
Take Out - Little Dry River confluence
Take-out - Little Dry River confluence (Little Dry Rd near Fulks Run).
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportRt 820 to the confluence with the Little Dry River is a great little run! Ran at 4.3ft. Only hazards are 2 concrete fords (portage), low bridge (fine today, but will be trouble at 6ft), one 2/3 river wide strainer (sneak on right), and a massive river wide strainer pile extravaganza (obvious portage). All visible from a distance. I'd advise against taking a complete beginner due to the small size of the eddies above hazards. An advanced beginner or intermediate paddler would be fine. Approx. 8 miles.
Side channel to the right of serpent rapid.
Little Bro after running his first bigger rapid.
Serpent Rock at around 5.5 ft
The 6 mile run from the Rt. 42 bridge in Timberville to the Rt. 617 bridge near New Market is a great section to introduce beginner/intermediate paddlers to slightly pushier water (with an emphasis on slightly). The run takes about 2 hours in a white water kayak, I'm sure a canoe would shorten that quite a bit. About 1.5 miles upstream from the 617 bridge, there is a decent sized Class III rapid followed by a small wave train. I guess it'd be called 'Serpent Castle' rapid because a hand painted rock sign that reads 'Serpent Castle' is displayed on the large 8 foot tall rock formation on river right just before the rapid (this area also makes a great scout/portage for those a little nervous about it running it). You'll know the rapid is just ahead when the river makes a sharp bend to the left and the rock formation comes into view. A word of caution for those who chose to surf: there is a rock just under the surface in the wave after the main drop. If you get flipped in the left side of the rapid (facing upstream), odds are pretty good you'll get pushed right against it. Overall, not a bad little day trip, recommend this one for sure.