Roanoke
1. Dixie Caverns to Green Hill Park
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 7 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 13 fpm |
| Gauge | Roanoke River at Glenvar, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 45 minutes | 75 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | August 26, 2024 |
River Description
See Also:
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 533.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 302.
River Features
Put In
The Wayside put-in is on Rt. 460/Rt. 11, with ample parking and a short carry to the ramp. The park is just south/upstream of the I-81 exit and Dixie Caverns itself. See a video about improvements and funding for this access: https://youtu.be/YvDfLbXLoTc.
Take Out
The take-out is in Green Hill Park. Turn into the park, go straight, then turn right at the T, then park in the first lot on the right. From the river, you'll be able to see the cars, and you can also look for an accessible fishing/observation area with a silver railing on river right.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a report650 cfs felt like a nice moderate flow, with little need to dodge rocks. This took us 2.5 hours with a brief lunch stop and just drifting between rapids. We didn't paddle much other than navigating the riffles. A surprisingly nice trip considering how populated the area is.
Ran this section on 5/15/2022 at 275 cfs. Enjoyable class I+ run with one notable, solid class II rapid. Not as scrapy as I expected but still 5 or 6 areas that required low water maneuvering with rock rubbing. I would run this again at this level but >=400 cfs would be preferable. This run forks around islands on several occasions, be on the look out for downed trees and debris.
Ran this section on 6/14/19 at 350cfs. Took 2 hours. Scraped in a few places, got stuck in another while avoiding a downed tree. I enjoyed this section, but don't think I would do it again at this level.
We enjoy this very much, as novices but not absolute beginners. The lowest is 200 cfs, and you might get stuck on rocks a couple of times. It takes about 3 hours. When it is at 1200 cfs it flows much faster, closer to between 2 and 2.5 hours.
At 400 cfs there should not be a problem with shallowness. But that means there needs to be rain in the last week.
The hardest rapid is a 'dragon's tooth' on the right with straining rocks. Stay on the left of that and you should be fine. And there are a couple of small ledges that keeps you on your toes.