Overview:
Stony Creek drains the little valley near Basye on the western side of the Shenandoah Valley near Columbia Furnace. It has some fine tributaries located in the folds of Great North Mountain, such as Little Stony. This creek used to have some of the best trout fishing in Virginia, but the quality has declined with streamside development. Nonetheless, this is a pleasant day trip for people who live or are camped in the northern Valley, such as in Massanutten. I recommend making a Stony Creek/Mill Creek combination if the water is sufficiently high, in which case you can generally run Passage Creek the next day. Stony is a class 1-2 creek, with the only challenges being a rather constricted wave train near the I-81 bridge, potential strainers, and a low water bridge (passable at lower runnable levels) in Edinburg.
Recommended Trip:
Columbia Furnace to Edinburg: This is a 1/2 to full day trip depending on fishing intensity and interest in paddling.
Directions to Put Ins and Take outs:
Columbia Furnace: Put in at the new concrete bridge located approximately 100 yards west of the main Rt 42 bridge over Stony Creek. If you're coming from Woodstock on Rt 42 you will cross Stony Creek, see a gas station on the left, and then turn right to reach the bridge. There is ample roadside parking and the put in (informal) appears to be well used by bathers and fisherman.
Edinburg: This is one of the harder to find take outs in Virginia. From Route 11 in Edinburg, turn east onto Water St (one way; the sign is tiny), then take a left. What seems to be a one lane paved road will go downhill, cross a one lane low water bridge (over Stony), and then you'll be at the Stony/N. Fork Shenandoah confluence. This is the takeout, also a useful takeout for N. Fork runs to avoid portaging the dam that is shortly downstream on the N. Fork. If you drive through Edinburg and miss the Water Street turn look again in the older part of town, north of Murray's Fly Shop (great flies and new/used rods--best place for affordable fly rods, if used, in Virginia) but south of the end of town.
Sections of River to Run:
Columbia Furnace to Edinburg: Stony Creek passes by attractive cliffs and over small rapids on its way to Edinburg through the Shenandoah Valley. Spring paddlers will find this to be one of the most naturally verdant places in Virginia, though some unfortunate development has marred what used to be a pristine trout stream. This stretch still has many fish, though trout is probably mostly dependent on stocking. No rapids exceed Class I+ in difficulty. Be careful when approaching the low water bridge at the tail end of Edinburg, as it is passable at lower but not higher water levels.
