For our next adventure, the group decided to travel north toward Richmond, Virginia to check out the Mattaponi and Pamunkey River. Our destination for this trip was the South Anna River, which is a relaxing yet exhilarating 6 mile paddle from Route 33 to Route 54. The South Anna River has steady moving water flowing downriver, with numerous class 1 rapids along the way. This added a little extra excitement (and anxiety) amongst the group! We unloaded our kayaks off of Route 33 at Ground Squirrel Bridge Boat Ramp, which has a convenient concrete ramp, making it easy to launch your kayak. We brought to separate cars, so we parked one in that lot and the other down to the exit location off Route 54 at the Patrick Henry Boat Launch.
Before planning your trip, I highly recommend checking the water levels. This will help you plan out if you want to experience the adrenaline of the class 1 rapids, or if you are trying to avoid the roughness. You can download an app or search the water levels online. For our trip, the water was about 3 or 4 feet deep, which was perfect for a group of beginners. We were able to experience small rapids for the very first time without being overwhelmed. Make sure your group is equipped with life jackets and waterproof bags to keep yourself and your belongings (electronics, keys, wallets, etc.) safe and dry.
You can check out important paddling information here.
We headed out to take on the rapids, some of us more reluctant than others. Right from the start, the river was ready to take us where we wanted to go. The currents made for a relaxing and easy paddle at times - you could sit back and take in your beautiful surroundings. The river was mostly secluded, aside from the occasional group of kayakers or canoers also paddling through. It is an extremely tranquil experience. On our paddle, we were accompanied by numerous turtles along the shoreline, some jumping fish and even some native birds scooping up those fish! We saw a snake sunbathing from afar (we wanted to keep it that way) and were greeted by some cute dogs on some property lines along the river. We were surprised to see some rope swings hanging from trees on the edge of the canals - something you can take advantage of when the water levels are a little bit lower!
The last leg of our mapped out paddle was a calm ride around the riverbend up to our exit location. Here you will find a concrete incline off to the left of the river that leads to the Route 54 loading dock and parking lot with an open field looking out at the river.
Overall the adventure was a great experience! We were able to navigate the rapids successfully as a group, and it built a great sense of teamwork steering the river together! I would highly recommend this paddle if you are craving adventure with a bit of a splash!
