The James River offers both restful flatwater as well as heart‐pumping class IV rapids to entice river users of all abilities. The river has many the boat landings that provide an ideal and pleasant place for recreational boating and fishing.
Can you boat in the James River?
James River State Park provides two boat ramps; a canoe launch as well as a good concrete ramp well suited for canoes or small boats. At Wingina, a concrete ramp is present at the Rt. 56 bridge.
Is the James River navigable to Richmond?
The James is navigable for deep drafts to Richmond. A bridge 4.5 miles (7 km) long spans the river above Newport News. Jamestown Island, on the river’s lower course, was the site of the first permanent English settlement (1607) in America.
How far up the James River is navigable?
The James River Federal Navigation Project extends from Hampton Roads, Virginia to Richmond, Virginia covering a distance of 90.8 miles.
Can you swim in the James River Richmond VA?
There are numerous spots to wade and splash in the cooling waters of the James River. Spots like Texas Beach and Pony Pasture offer easy access points to walk into the water. Some spots, like Huguenot Flatwater, offer access to calmer water, but the James gets deep there very quickly.
Can you camp anywhere along the James River?
From the Alleghany Highlands to the Chesapeake Bay, the James River basin is home to a variety of outdoor recreation activities. Camping along the James and its tributaries is a popular activity during the warmer months of the year. The James is a great place to float, fish, and camp.
How deep is the James River in Virginia?
The James River provides depths of 25 feet to the Richmond Deepwater Terminal and in the Terminal Turning Basin; 18 feet to and in the Richmond Harbor Turning Basin; 18 feet to the Lock at Richmond.
What class rapids is the James River?
Lower James River Whitewater Rafting
- Duration: 3 hours.
- Time: 8:30am, 1:15pm, 2pm, & 5:30pm.
- Difficulty: Class II-IV Rapids.
- Location: Reedy Creek to 14th St.
- Ages: 8+
Is the James River in Richmond clean?
While the James River is a great place to cool off, it can carry extra pollutants during periods of high water and after heavy summer downpours. Some segments of the river are impaired due to excessive harmful bacteria—which can make an afternoon on the river less enjoyable.
Does the James River have rapids?
The James is a very broad river and has many different lines that run parallel to each other. Typically during a run, you choose which rapids to run or carry back up and run different lines.
Can you drink alcohol on the James River?
Drinking and paddling don’t mix.
Boating and alcohol don’t mix, public display and consumption of alcohol on river is also illegal. Save the drinks for after you get safely off the river.
Are there sharks in the James River in Virginia?
No there are no bull sharks in THAT James River. Nor are any likely in the one over in Virginia as the waters are probably too cold. I guess there have been occasional records but they are few and far between.
Who owns the James River?
James River Corporation
| Industry | Pulp and paper |
|---|---|
| Successor | Fort James Corporation (1997–2000) |
| Headquarters | Richmond, Virginia , U.S. |
| Key people | Miles Marsh, CEO |
| Revenue | $5.7 billion (1996) |
Does the James River have snakes?
Moccasins in the James
Water moccasins, properly called northern cottonmouths, are venomous denizens of Southern swamps. They inhabit southeastern Virginia — but not the city of Richmond. If you are wading at James River Park and a serpent swims by, it is most likely a northern water snake, a harmless creature.
Is the James River still contaminated?
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — The quality of the water in the James River isn’t seeing major improvement, despite investments to make it cleaner. The James River Association gave the river a “B-” score in its 2021 State of the James report.
Are there dolphins in the James River?
We forget sometimes that the James connects us to the Chesapeake Bay. There are over 3,000 species of plants and animals that call the Bay home, and that includes over 350 species of fish. Those fish include several species of shark that pay a visit, and, yes, dolphins.
Can you water ski on the James River?
Richmond’s beloved James River turns into a summer playground filled with kayaking, canoeing, fishing, boating, jet skiing, swimming, rock hopping, sunbathing, to name a few — and the Rocketts Landing marina offers the perfect access to hop in a boat and enjoy the waters!
Can you canoe the entire James River?
Modeled after the Appalachian Trail’s “2000-Miler” recognition program for people who hike the full trail, the Full James River Rundown consists of paddling the entire length (approximately 340 miles) of the James River from its headwaters at Iron Gate to Fort Monroe at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
Can you kayak on the James River?
James River Runners. Your destination for canoeing, tubing, rafting, kayaking, camping and fishing on the James River in Central Virginia.
Was a shark in the James River?
Marine biologists guess the sharks travelled away from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and bypassed the mouth of the James while swimming all the way up to the Potomac. It’s a tale of the two that didn’t get away.
Are there blue crabs in the James River?
Despite their name, blue crabs are usually not completely blue. But Sally Epps, a crabber from Hayes, did recently catch an all-blue blue crab, hoisting it from a crab pot on the James River near Craney Island. “This is the first crab like this I’ve seen in 11 years on the water,” says Epps.