Overview:
Formerly known as the North River, the Maury flows from Goshen through Lexington and Buena Vista before joining the James at Glasgow, just west of the Blue Ridge. With the right boat and skills, one could float from the beginning of the Maury to the James in three days; the river is approximately 45 miles long, and extraordinarily beautiful the entire way. From the spectacular Goshen Pass to extensive caves to the awe inspiring confluence with the James, the Maury is a stunningly beautiful river. Except in flood, the water is between emerald and turquoise, and extremely clear. Rocky bluffs, mountain views, cascading side tributaries, caves, and dignified old farmhouses accompany the traveler along the river. Two dams, one in Lexington and one in Buena Vista, are the only scars on an otherwise spectacular stretch of river, and fortunately these dams are not large enough to create particularly long stretches of slackwater. However, they are a pain in the neck to portage. Goshen Pass is probably the best midsize river day trip in the state for skilled canoeists, and the float camping trip from Rockbridge Baths to either Lexington or Buena Vista is one of the prettiest overnighters in the state.
Recommended Trips:
- (daytrip) Goshen Pass
- (day trip) Buena Vista (use Glen Maury Park put-in) to Snowden on the James, including the Balcony Falls section of James
- (overnight) Rockbridge Baths to Lexington or Buena Vista; use Lexington as takeout if you want to fish extensively; otherwise take out at Buena Vista, using Rt 60 take out.
- (3 day) Rockbridge Baths to Snowden, which includes the Balcony Falls section of the James
Directions to Put Ins and Take Outs:
View Maury River in a larger map
Top of Goshen Pass: Follow Rt 39 west from the Valley. The road follows the river closely before diverging to the left about 4.5 miles from Rockbridge Baths. Turn right at an unmarked dirt road, then go ¼ mile to a dirt parking lot for a wildlife refuge. This is the put in. You can camp here too, in the pine grove between 39 and the parking lot, unofficially; be very discreet and leave no trace.
Rockbridge Baths: Park at the Rockbridge Baths post office (the old Rockbridge Baths General Store), located on the north bank off Rt 39.
Lexington: Park in the little park located next to the dam just to the west of Rt 11. As you’re headed south on 11, take your first right after crossing the river.
Route 60 Buena Vista: Park at the public boat landing located on Stuartsburg Road about ¼ mile west of Rt 60 on the north bank of the river. As you’re coming from I81, follow 60 for a few miles until you cross the Maury, then immediately take a left onto Stuartsburg.
Glen Maury Park Buena Vista: From the east, head west on W. 10th St/Rt 745 from Rt 501 in Buena Vista; Glen Maury Park is on the west bank of the river immediately after you cross it on 10th St. From the west, turn right off of 60 at the top of the hill near the new sprawl.
Snowden(on the James): This takeout is for the trip that includes joining the James. The takeout is an official boat landing located on Rt 501/130 just above the dam, near the AT.
Sections of River to Run:
Goshen Pass is one of the premier whitewater runs in Virginia, with numerous and varied rapids, outstanding scenery, and easy access. Although locals run the river down at least as low as 250cfs, a comfortable minimum level is 500-550cfs. The river probably flows at this level or higher at least 75-100 days per year.
If you put in at the swinging bridge and the Goshen Wildlife Management Area you will have a short period of flat water, then a few Class I drops before entering Class II boulder gardens which are near a small pull off for Route 39 that is an alternative put in. This first set of decent boulder gardens is passable on river right at lower levels, but watch for rocks just below the surface of what otherwise is an open channel.
Enjoyable Class II boulder gardens continue for the next mile or so as the river makes a right and then left hand bend. After the river bends back left you will pass through a short pool and see a large rock in the middle of the river ahead of you, which is a good signal you are approaching Devils Kitchen (III+/IV). Pull over on the gravel bar on the left bank to scout this rapid if you have not run it before. The simplest line at lower (say 500-650 cfs) is to start on river left, catching eddies behind the large river left boulder you probably stood on or near while scouting. Then you will drop into a chute and work hard right across divided currents through numerous boulders, aiming more or less at the large boulder in the middle of the river. If you are on line you will end up in the middle of the river below the large boulder, which is on the right hand side of the main channel. From there it is a relatively straight shot to the bottom, then eddy out right to make sure everyone else made it. At medium levels it is possible to start river right, run right of the boulder, then cut behind it and make a hard right turn to reenter the main flow. At medium-high levels you can run down the right bank the whole way, or start center right and go straight down. Do not enter the rapid directly upstream of the large boulder in the middle, as it tends to catch strainers and has killed people who washed into it. Nor should you be playing around in front of it or attempting to ferry back and forth in front of it. Devils Kitchen is the hardest rapid in Goshen Pass, particularly for longer open boats.
Below Devils Kitchen you will float through a relatively straight section of river with, surprise, more boulder gardens, none of which are as steep or technical as Devils Kitchen. Soon you will see a large concrete retaining wall looming high over the river’s right bank, which indicates you are approaching Corner Rapid, the second-hardest rapid in Goshen. Corner is boulder-choked on river right with a stout pourover on river left. Below the pourover the river is shallow on the left side, so the key is to go over the pourover and then work right back into the main current. The bottom of the drop can be bony at lower levels, at which it makes sense to run closer to the rock in the middle of the current that creates a nice boof pourover. 13 foot canoes can get completely airborne off this boof, which is the cleanest way to run Corner.
Below Corner is an unusual sloping rock wall on river right which creates unusual waves and trick opportunities. Only one ledgy rapid after that you will enter Indian Pool, a long pool with road access. This is a good takeout if you’re running laps on Goshen Pass, or if levels are low. There are entertaining rapids and surf holes below here but they are shallower as the river becomes more cobbly. If you continue past Indian Pool there is a roadside takeout on the right upstream of Rockbridge Baths. Paddlers also can continue to Rockbridge Paths, passing over the unusual Lava Falls (a rather bony sloping four to five foot drop), and take out behind the old Post Office on river left or the road pull off on river right.
Rockbridge Baths to Lexington: Put in at Rockbridge Baths and run to the takeout just above the Route 60 bridge to the west of Buena Vista. This is about 17 miles of median paced water. The views are extraordinary most of the way, marred by only a little development, and include high rock cliffs, hemlock groves, deep clear water, and sparkling ledges. There are plenty of campsites available. There are at least 6 large caves visible from the river, some of which are quite beautiful inside. Do not touch the mineral formations in the caves, and be very quiet; if you wake bats from hibernation they will die. Portage the dam in Lexington on river right, through the local park (if you want to do a shorter overnighter this park is an alternate take out). Class II-III. Running this section in an open boat at 5 ft on the Buena Vista Gauge was a scary experience and is not reccomended, lots of holes form.
Lexington to Buena Vista: This is a 8 mile trip. There is a long island where the Maury goes under I81. There are nice campsites at the head of it, before you encounter the interstate, and before the interstate is audible. Also note the extraordinarily beautiful confluence of the South River with the Maury, which is located a few miles downstream of I81. Take out on river left at a public boat landing above the Route 60 bridge.
Buena Vista to confluence with James: Class 1 riffles, mountain views, and farmland characterize this pretty 11 mile stretch of river. The confluence rapid at the James is a bit tricky; I ran it river right at medium/low levels without difficulty.
