Falls of the James

Location: Richmond, Virginia (about 100 miles south of Washington, D.C.).

Length of trip: Seven miles in five to six hours.

Season: March through November; trips by request at any time. The water flow usually peaks in March, April, and May.

Weather: Paddlers should be prepared for wet-suit weather from winter until early May. Summer days are hot and humid, sometimes with afternoon thunderstorms. Autumn days tend to be cool and crisp.

Lodging: Inns, B&Bs, hotels, and motels in Richmond.

Boats: Paddle rafts.

Rapids: Up to Class IV. Clear water, except after heavy rain.

Special features:

  • Tree-line riverbanks for first half of trip, the Richmond skyline for second half.
  • Good fishing (striped and largemouth bass, shad, white perch).
  • Good swimming during first half of trip.
  • Many wildflowers.
  • Lovely autumn colors.
  • Muskrats, white-tailed deer, beavers, great blue herons, ospreys, bald eagles, Canada geese.
  • Suitable for first-time rafters, families, seniors in good physical condition, and the physically challenged who are comfortable in and around the water.

Nearby excursions:

  • Richmond—State Capitol, Museum and White House of the Confederacy, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Monument Avenue, Shockoe Bottom, Hollywood Cemetery, and Agecroft Hall, a 15th-century Tudor manor house built in England and later moved to Richmond.
  • Plantations along the James River.

Outfitter:

  • Richmond Raft Company, 4400 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23231; +1 804 222 7238, fax +1 804 222 7655. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day try to book at least two weeks in advance for weekend trips, a week ahead for weekday trips.

For more information:

  • Metro Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau, 550 East Marshall Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219; +1 804 782 2777 or 800 365 7272, fax 804 780 2577.
  • Richmond story in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER, May/June 1995. To order a copy, please click here.

 
 
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