I was working on an overnighter on the New River or its feeders in WVa. I know this river can swallow up open canoe loaded w/ gear…what I was wanting to know is what part of the New or what feeder creeks/rivers are good for canoe camping w/ decent fishing. Any help would be greatly appreciated…
Tightlines y’all!
The best section for canoe camping,
and fishing would be from Sandstone to Thurmond, or for a shorter trip, to McCreery. There are only a couple of class III rapids, one can be paddled around, and the other can be portaged. Some of the best small mouth fishing in the East!
Happy Paddling!
camping spots
is this section open for camping on the banks…who owns the land?..do they care?
You can camp just about anywhere,
along the bank, because most of the land is part of the New River National River. You’ll be able to tell the previously used sites because of fire scars or rings. There are a few houses along the bank, but they are pretty well spaced apart to still be able to find alot of wilderness. You do have to watch about staying at one of the many outfitters designated spots, but they’re usually well marked. I haven’t been up there for a few years, but I’m sure it hasn’t changed much.
Happy Paddling!
Also check out the S Fork of the New
in NC. It is said to be a great smallmouth stream. Camping is available in selected Wild & Scenic River parks in NC and VA. Heavy hurricane rainfall has got the New running reasonably full this year. I/we covered about 30 miles and enjoyed every mile.
New
When are you planning on going? The New in the fall is a joy to float - great scenery. The rapids on the New can change quite a bit with water levels - have you spent a lot of time in class II with a loaded canoe? In most cases if the Hinton gauge is below 3’ you should be alright.
The area from Sandstone to McCreary is the easiest water, although Sandstone down to Canard isn’t bad if you are familiar with it. The VA sections are nice too. I did a solo float from the NC to WV border a few years back and had a great time. Most of the rapids in VA are easier than the WV sections. For some reason, the smallmouth fishing in VA has been better than WV the last couple of years. Even outfitters I know in WV have noticed it.
Another float you might be interested in is the Greenbrier. If you go upstream of where Rt 64 crosses the river, the Greenbrier River Trail (bike trail, part of rails-to-trails)parallels the float and offers campsites and drinking water about every ten miles or so. There is a website that provides a lot of info and maps.
As stated before, you can camp almost anywhere along the New in WV. I’ve spent a few hundred nights camped on its beaches over the years. How are you fixed for a shuttle? I can provide info on folks that provide shuttles if you need 'em.
Enjoy your float!