Paddle trip includes 6.5 miles of Dan River
Members of the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) are set to hold their First Saturday Outing on April 1. Participants paddle 6.5 miles of the Dan River from Milton, N.C., to the new public access at Leggett’s Bottom where U.S. 58 crosses the river in Halifax County, according to a release from DRBA.
Participants will meet at 10 a.m. at the Milton Public Boat Landing on Route 62, south of Danville (GPS 36.5407, -79.2149). For boat rentals and shuttle, contact Three Rivers Outfitters at (336) 627-6215, www.3-r-o.com.
DRBA’s First Saturday Outings are free and open to the public.
DRBA helped the Roanoke River Basin Association develop the Leggett’s Bottom Access, using funds from Duke Energy.
Wayne Kirkpatrick, DRBA board member and expert paddler, is coordinator of the Saturday event, a Class I section that offers smooth waters and high banks. The exception is passage near Virginia International Raceway early in the float, where participants may hear the rumble of race cars on the VIR track.
The paddle includes a small rapid under the Virginia 62 bridge, which, like most highway bridges, is anchored on rock, Kirkpatrick said. From then on, the “flat but moving water” extends the entire float, making it “novice friendly,” he added.
For more information, contact Wayne Kirkpatrick at (540) 570-3511 orwynbtyk@embarqmail.com. Meetings and outings of the Dan River Basin Association are free and open to the public. For more information visit www.danriver.org
