James
1.4. Buchanan to Arcadia
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 6.2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 7 fpm |
| Gauge | James River at Buchanan, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 39 minutes | 981 cfslow runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | October 31, 2025 |
River Description
This is a popular section with Twin River Outfitters located right next to the put-in ramp. Nice trip with some class I-II rapids and good scenery, particularly of surrounding ridges.
See Also:
Upper James Water Trail for excellent maps and other info.
Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 227.
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 278.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 199.
River Features
Put In
The Buchanan boat ramp is located next to Twin River Outfitters on river right.
Take Out
The Arcadia take-out is on river right just upstream of the bridge.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportHollins University has been working on some getting some old rafts on the river
For a lot of info on this section and the entire Upper James River section in the county.
WWW.upperjamesriverwatertrail.com