Overview:
This is a crazy river in Hanover County with the most dramatic fall line within a half hour of Richmond. The whole fall line occurs within a mile of the put in at New Market Road, most of it in a series of three large, successive drops. Open boaters can run this at low water if they’re careful and have some experience. I ran it at 54 cfs. The run is just beautiful, particularly in the fall line section. I highly recommend this at the right water levels. Make sure you are set up for a rescue when folks run the main rapid. This is class IV-V with enough water.
Recommended Trip:
(daytrip) put in at New Market Road and take out at Doswell Road, an afternoon trip.
Directions to Put In Take Out:
View Little River (Pamunkey tributary) in a larger map
New Market Road Rt 685 does not have an official put in, but it is easy to put in just below the bridge and park along the road. New Market connects Verdon and Old Ridge, both of which connect to Rt 1 just a few miles to the east. New Market Rd is a continuation of Scotchtown Road to the south.
Doswell Road take out is located between Old Ridge and Verdon; Doswell runs to Rt 1 and I95 in the east.
Section of River to Run:
New Market Rd to Doswell Rd: This trip just takes a few hours, an afternoon. After putting in you’ll go through some fun little boulder gardens, then turn away from the road. Shortly thereafter you’ll approach what appears to be the end of the earth, where the river vanishes over a ledge, with the main flow to the left of a small island in the middle of the river. Stop on this island (which would be covered at high water) to scout. There is a clean but scrapey line at low levels. Take the main channel, which drops in and takes a 90 turn to the left, then another 90 degree turn to the right before dropping a 6 foot ledge or so. Stay steady over the ledge, then cut right for the next large drop. Then follow the main flow through the final drop, which is an easy 2 foot high ledge/spout. Be careful not to flip and pin on the giant rock in the middle of this channel that is located between the second and third drops. I soloed a 15 foot open boat down this; it might be harder with two people in a 16 foot boat, and would probably be impossible for a 17 foot boat because of the tight turns at the top of the first and second ledges. After this rapid the river flattens out considerably. The section below Doswell Rd is entirely flat.
