New

This section may be suitable for absolute beginners, but for whitewater... look elsewhere. It is floated frequently, in the summer, by fisherman and some rec canoists as well. It contains one class II-II+ ledge somewhere near the Radford Ammunition Plant.

Andrea Jones shared:

Paddling the stretch of river through the Arsenal means that you and your gear are subject to being searched by guards for Radford Army Ammunition Plant. And when the local threat level gets to certain levels, they will close the river. However, they are supposed to post that information at the access point at Rte. 114 / Peppers Ferry bridge. However, don't let that keep you from paddling this stretch. I have been told that the stretch from Rte. 114 to Whitethorne has some of the best fishing on the New River. There is a rapid in the middle of the Arsenal that used to be rated a class III that is particularly difficult for inexperienced paddlers because the last ledge (which is about 3 ft maybe??) can be hard to see and hear and has flipped boats and drowned fishermen in the past.

Convenient access points include:

1. Just upstream of the I-81 bridge at the Sportsman.

2. In the City of Radford, there is river access in the park next to the river.

3. At Rte. 114 / Peppers Ferry bridge, just upstream of the Arsenal.

4. At the end of Whitethorne Rd, just downstream of the Arsenal.

5. At Big Falls, on Big Falls Road. Each of these access points provides a convenient 8 - 9 mile stretch of river to enjoy.

See Also:

New River - maps and directions from Virginia DWR.

Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 307.

Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 474.

Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 341.