Walk on the Wild Side

BY ANDY THOMPSON - Special Correspondent
Published: August 28, 2008

When it comes to the outdoors, the Richmond region is a microcosm of the entire state of Virginia. The multiplicity of options available here is almost too much to keep track of. The intrepid explorer will find it all starts with the James River – “our great, wet Central Park.”

America’s founding river offers ample fishing as well as the only urban whitewater (Class III and IV rapids) in the nation. Lining the banks of the James west and east of downtown is a series of parks that make up the James River Park System.

Here there are trails for mountain bikers, hikers, birders, dog walkers and others. The JRPS also boasts rock climbing on the Manchester Wall and on Belle Isle .

The capital city has much for the outdoors lover, but anything it lacks surely can be found with just a moderate-length drive in any direction.

To the west, the Blue Ridge Mountains offer miles of trails, hundreds of campsites and acres of verdant forests. Fly fishermen can cast their lines in trout streams, and hunters will find game in national forests and wildlife management areas.

To the east, the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and Virginia’s Eastern Shore beckon saltwater sportsmen, bird watchers, surfers and beachcombers alike.

Just 20 miles south of Richmond lies Pocahontas State Park – the largest of Virginia’s 34 state parks. North toward Washington is the Potomac River and all its tributaries to explore.

Fishing

As the health of the James River improves year by year, so does the fishing. Shad, catfish, perch, herring, smallmouth bass and striped bass offer opportunities for anglers of every stripe. Take rod and reel and start as far west as Huguenot Flatwater on Riverside Drive and continue through downtown to Ancarrow’s Landing off Maury Street. You’ll catch fish the whole way.

Where the James widens and becomes tidal through Osborne Landing and Dutch Gap, blue catfish become the favorite catch, though channel cats and striped bass are plentiful as well.

Thanks to an urban stocking program revived two years ago, anglers can find trout and catfish in Shields Lake in Richmond’s Byrd Park.

Swift Creek Reservoir, Pocahontas State Park and Lake Chesdin are freshwater Chesterfield County destinations. In the surrounding counties, Dorey and Echo Lake parks in Henrico County and Courthouse Park in Hanover County provide public fishing. Dorey Park Lake is included in the urban trout-stocking program.

Lake Anna, a 9,600-acre reservoir adjoining Louisa, Orange and Spotsylvania counties, and Briery Creek Lake, an 845-acre impoundment in Prince Edward County, are two of many freshwater reservoirs owned and managed by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries that have developed into premier fisheries, especially for largemouth bass. In addition, the tidal Chickahominy River has become a popular largemouth bass destination. Freshwater fishing starts with VDGIF. The Web site provides a range of services, from getting a license to listings of lakes, rivers and trout streams. In Richmond, call the James River Park System or city parks.  

Hiking/Backpacking

The Appalachian Trail – the famous 2,175-mile path from Georgia to Maine – spends more time in Virginia than any other state. One of the easiest access points from Richmond is Rockfish Gap, where Interstate 64 crosses Afton Mountain (about 90 minutes west of Richmond).

The Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club, based in Richmond, organizes regular hikes and maintenance trips. For more info, check out the Appalachian Trail Conference Web site at http://www.atconf.org or contact the Old Dominion club.

North of Rockfish Gap, Shenandoah National Park has more than 500 miles of trails, including about 100 miles of the AT. With nearly 200,000 acres, the park attracts more than 1 million visitors a year. Trailheads are linked by Skyline Drive, which offers panoramic vistas along its 105 miles. Call (540) 999-3500 or visit http://www.nps.gov/shen for more information.

National forests and state parks also have plenty of hiking trails. For national forests, go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/ or call (888) 265-0019.

Much closer to home, the James River Park System has numerous trails around Pony Pasture, the Wetlands and Belle Isle. Several paths also wind around areas of downtown Richmond and Manchester, including a trail that follows the Flood Wall for 1.5 miles.

Hikers who want to challenge themselves should seek out the 7.5-mile Buttermilk-North Bank loop, a trail that runs roughly from Belle Isle to the Boulevard Bridge on the south bank, then connects with Maymont on the north bank and loops back to Tredegar.

Counties surrounding the city also have numerous trails. Henrico has 13 established sites, Chesterfield has nine and Hanover has seven trail sites.

Boating

The James is America’s founding river, so that probably means the first settlers to navigate it were the country’s earliest whitewater enthusiasts. The falls of the James in Richmond can challenge even skilled paddlers with Class III and IV rapids. West of downtown’s Hollywood Rapids, the river accommodates paddlers of many skill levels. For information on high-water permits, call 646-6663 or 646-4229.

Paddling instruction is offered by various organizations, such as Adventure Challenge, which can be reached at 276-7600 or http://www.adventurechallenge.com. Chesterfield County Department of Parks and Recreation also schedules classes throughout the year.

In addition, Riverside Outfitters provides rafting trips in the city. The phone number is 560-0068 and their Web site is http://www.riversideoutfitters.net.

Power boaters have access to ramps on the James at Ancarrow’s Landing in Richmond, Osborne and Deep Bottom landings in Henrico County and Dutch Gap in Chesterfield County.

For more info, VDGIF has a listing of boating access sites at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/boating. For state parks, go to http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/parks/index.htm.

Camping

Virginia is definitely for lovers of camping. More than 20 state parks have camping facilities, some of them in primitive sites with limited access; more than half of the parks have climate-controlled cabins for overnight or weekend getaways.

Pocahontas State Park, just 20 miles from downtown Richmond, has almost 8,000 acres and two large lakes to explore and boasts a variety of camping and cabin options.

If you’re willing to cast a wider net in central Virginia, Bear Creek, James River and Lake Anna state parks offer woods and water. Bear Creek, in Cumberland State Forest, has camping sites next to its 40-acre lake. James River, in Buckingham County, includes primitive camping sites on its 1,500 acres. And Lake Anna in Spotsylvania County recently added climate-controlled cabins to the facilities on its 2,300 acres.

To the east near Virginia Beach is First Landing State Park and Natural Area, the most visited state park in the system. Just a short drive from there is the least visited state park, False Cape, known for its seclusion, solitude and population of feral hogs.

To the west, Shenandoah National Park provides backcountry camping (permit required) as well as camping in developed areas. George Washington and Jefferson national forests also offer primitive camping and accessible sites.

For national forests, call (888) 265-0019 or go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/. For SNP, call (540) 999-3500 or go to http://www.nps.gov/shen.

Additional information about camping is available from the Virginia Tourism Corp. (800) 847-4882 or http://www.virginia.org.

Hunting

Virginia’s wide variety of terrain – mountains, swamps, coastal plain, upland hardwood and Piedmont pine forests, etc. – gives hunters plenty of game to choose from. The major seasons are for deer, bear and turkey, and all can be hunted with bows, crossbows, muzzleloaders and general firearms (shotgun or rifle, depending on county).

This year early archery season for deer begins Oct. 4, followed by muzzleloading east of the Blue Ridge on Nov. 3. On Nov. 1, muzzleloading season opens statewide. The general firearms season for deer starts on Nov. 15, except in certain eastern localities. Archery season for turkey opens Oct. 4; the firearms season commences on Oct. 25.

VDGIF publishes a digest of seasons and regulations. Its Web site also lists seasons and regulations and offers online purchases of hunting licenses.