Staunton
Long Island To Brookneal(Roanoke)
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 11.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 8 fpm |
| Gauge | Roanoke (staunton) River at Brookneal, Va |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 2220 cfsmedium runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 31, 2024 |
River Description
'The Staunton River is really the Roanoke River on most official maps, but to the good people of southside Virginia, this river, from Leesville Dam to the backwaters of Kerr Reservoir, will always be the Staunton River. The local people kept removing the state-installed signs saying 'Roanoke River' until the state gave up and installed 'Staunton River' signs-----which were not removed. Isn't it great when people stand up for their beliefs against governments?'
(Page 553, Virginia Whitewater by H. Roger Corbett)
Comment from 2009:
'Staunton from Long Island to Brookneal= 3 sections
1. Long Island to Melrose Ferry - 2.2 miles, class 1-2 @ 8 ft.
2. Melrose to River Campgrounds= 4.4 miles, class 1-2 @8 ft. w/ much beginner
surfing
3. Campground to Brookneal- 4.4 miles. 2 class 2+ w/best surfing @ 8-10 ft.'
See Also:
Classic Virginia Rivers, Ed Grove (1992 ed), p. 282.
Virginia Whitewater, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 555.
Exploring Virginia's Waterways, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 309.
River Features
Put In
Melrose Ferry
This is the approximate location of an alternate putin/takeout.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportYou can no longer use the Melrose Ferry alternate put-in. The buffalo rancher is protecting his herd by blocking off the state highway with a gate. You must now park your car above the gate,then haul your boat up and down an embankment, tote it along the rail tracks about a hundred yards before meeting the old crossing at the woods....By the way, the USGS has readjusted the footage gauge: 8 feet now equal 6 feet.
Ran it on 2/26/11 and it was at a good level. Lots of small rapids at the beginning of this run with a few bigger rapids along the way to keep it fun and interesting. Video can be found at the following link showing the small stuff at the beginning and a couple of the more fun spots like Cat Rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4KKtEI8pWQ
for those who live around here, great place to paddle in the spring as noted below, we ran it in March at 11ft. and it was a lot of fun. fast paced a lot of play spots and some really good waves.
The Renegade River Runners float the Staunton River many times throughout the year. Great run for families and white water enthusiasts alike. Watch out for a tree in the water on your left just below Fish trap. Been catching quite a few floaters this year.
This is a good section in the winter and spring i ran it at 11.5ft this March and it was actually really fun. the river takes on a whole new meaning from what people are normally used to so be carefull but it only took about 2 hours with plenty of play spots and new features.