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:
- RichmondState 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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