Recreation
on the New
Opportunities
for a variety of recreational activities on the New River or near her
banks are plentiful, and include fishing, hiking and camping, boating
and canoeing, scuba diving, birdwatching, and golfing.
FISHING
Fishing seems like the most
obvious form of river recreation, and rightly so. One would have
a difficult time finding a better smallmouth bass river in the country.
However, it doesn’t end with smallmouth; in addition to the Virginia
state record smallmouth (7 lbs 7 oz), the New is also responsible for
producing the state record Tiger Musky (45 lbs) and the state record
Walleye (15 lbs 3 oz). Although trophy fish aren’t a daily occurrence,
the New produces citation sized smallmouth, sunfish, flathead and channel
catfish, rock bass (“redeye”), and carp every year.
BOATING
AND CANOEING
Moving through still water
as well as rapids (up to class 3 between Claytor Lake and Bluestone
Lake), the New offers exciting trips for canoeists who slide over such
obstacles with little difficulty. The New is perfectly suited for
canoes, but propeller-driven boats can also be used in certain sections.
Bass boats, however, are not a good choice for use on the New, where
the submerged rocks and trees that contribute to the great fishing can
destroy a fast moving fiberglass boat operated by a careless boater. In
the Radford area, boat ramps are located where the Little River enters
the New near the Claytor Lake Dam, in Riverside Park, and at Pepper’s
Ferry Bridge.
For those who don’t own a boat or canoe, several
local businesses offer canoe rentals and sales. Tangent Outfitters
offers several trips beginning at $15. Tangent provides all necessary
equipment and will even rent fishing gear for $25 per day. Guided
and multiple day trips are also available. These trips are a great
way to give canoeing a try with minimal investment.
In the McCoy area, New River Canoe Livery offers canoe
or kayaking day trips and packages from May to October.
TUBING
Spending a lazy day floating
down the New River is a popular summer pastime for Radford University
and Virginia Tech students. New River Junction, 15 miles from Blacksburg,
rents tubes and provides a shuttle service back to the Junction. Camping,
fishing, and picnicing areas are also available.
In Radford, Tangent
Outfitters offers tube rentals and shuttle service back to the starting
point at Picnic Shelter #3 in Bisset Park.
SCUBA
DIVING
Surprisingly, it’s
not at all unusual to see scuba divers in certain locations on the New
River. With several holes as deep as 70 feet and relatively good
visibility, the New River provides some of the best scuba diving around. Large
catfish and carp, interesting underwater rock formations, and a variety
of “treasures” lost by careless fishermen and canoeists offer
entertainment for scuba divers while the New provides a convenient area
to perfect your scuba skills.
The New River Valley Scuba Center in Christiansburg
and Diver’s Corner in Radford offer local instruction, sales, and
service.
BIRDWATCHING
Birdwatching has become
popular on the New River in recent years. Although the lack of public
land along the New appears to be a negative, the private lands offer
nesting habitat for a variety of waterfowl including herons, egrets,
ducks, and geese. Soon, there will be a network of Pathways and
walkways along the New in Radford, and sections of these trails will
be nominated as Birding & Wildlife Trails under a program sponsored
by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Riversong Cabins on the New River in Fries, Virginia
caters to birdwatchers. Along Riversong's nature trail you'll see pileated
woodpeckers, wild turkeys, hawks, owls, and grouse. On the river are
ducks of all kinds, egrets, herons, and hundreds of Canada geese. Standard
songbirds of Southwest Virginia can also be seen in abundance, including
the Cardinal (the state bird of Virginia), bluejays, kingfishers, juncos,
verios, woodthrush, black capped chicadees, tufted titmouse, and Carolina
Wrens. Downy, hairy, and red bellied woodpeckers round out a common
assortment that can be easily spotted. Riversong also features fishing,
boating, and hiking.
CAMPING
New River Junction Campground
in the Big Falls area provides tubing and camping opportunities, while
Big Falls offers great kayaking, especially in times of high water.
The Sportsman Club in Radford is an option for those
interested in RV - primitive camping, canoe rentals, camper rentals,
and fishing supplies.
GOLFING
Recently selected by Golf
Magazine as one of the best new public access courses in America, The
River Course at Heron's Landing is a 2.5-mile, 18-hole championship
golf course that wraps along the New River.
On the other side of the New is a golf practice range
and miniature golf course, DG's Golf Training Center. It's on the riverbank
in Radford near Bisset Park.
PARKS
Bisset
Park is a 52-acre park located
on the banks of the New River in Radford. It features walking/jogging
trails, an Olympic size swimming pool, tennis courts, summer concerts
and festivals. River tubing trips are offered during the summer by Tangent
Outfitters.
Claytor Lake State Park
in Dublin, Virginia, features a 4,500-acre lake created by Claytor Dam.
It has limited hiking trails, a freshwater swimming beach, boating and
fishing opportunities, a full-service marina, a visitor center, a concession
stand, lakeside cabins for rent, camping with full hookups, interpretive
programs and six rental picnic shelters accommodating large groups.
The park is located in Dublin, Virginia, just off Interstate 81.
New River Trail State Park,
near Austinville, Virginia, is popular with hikers, mountain bikers,
and equestrians. This park is in close proximity to Mt. Rogers National
Recreational Area, two Department of Game and Inland Fisheries boat
launches and Shot Tower Historical State Park. Thirty-nine miles of
the New River Trail run along the banks of the New River.
One highlight of the park is Virginia's New River
Trail Challenge, an annual event held in mid-September. Thirty miles
of biking, 13 miles of running and 12 miles of canoe paddling define
this triathlon presented by the Virginia Department of Conservation
and Recreation and the Virginia Tourism Corporation. The course is designed
so that participants experience the beauty of the New River Trail and
the New River that graces the trail throughout all stages of the race.
The biking and running stages are flat, and the canoe stage is a mix
of Class I and II rapids with a small portion of flat-water paddling.