Piney, South Fork, Virginia, US

First bridge to National Forest boundary.

Gone Fishin'

Gone Fishin'
Photo of Gordon Dalton by Jeremy Laucks taken 02/23/03

Gauge Information

River Description

Breaking News!: There is a new painted gauge on the downstream river-left bridge abutment on the bridge at the intersection of Dickie Rd. and Perkins Mill Rd. -  the usual takeout for the class III-IV Upper Piney ("Big Piney") section. Boaters heading to the South Fork Piney from the east will cross this bridge before they hit the gravel road that runs up the South Fork. Please check this gauge when you make your run on the South Fork and post a comment here to help us all figure out how the levels correspond for the South Fork. !Gracias! 

"Ain't no cold like the Big Piney River. Hottest day of summer it'll still make you shiver."
- from Nelson County local tunesmith Byron Massie's, "Cannonball" (from the album, "I Still Think Of You")

The South Fork Piney is a very tight, technical creek flowing between Brush Mountain and The Cardinal. The first two miles drop at 400 fpm. One boater likened the South Piney to a combination of the North Fork Tye and the South Fork Tye, which are both just a ridge away in Nelson County, VA. There will likely be a fallen tree or two in the stream so be heads up for wood. The run is mostly roadside so choose your own trip length. Takeout no farther downstream than the dirt parking area at the National Forest sign. From the take-out, drive about 3.5 miles upstream to the first bridge over the South Piney. There is a dirt parking circle just across the bridge on the left. The first mile of the run contains a series of super-fun slides in an area that the local fishermen call, "The Cascades." After the Cascades, things stay technical for a half-mile or so before, "Switchblade." The tree is now gone from Switchblade. After that it is all technical class IV to V- through a wooded gorge. Enjoy "No Fishing Falls," an easy near-vertical 12 foot drop, two tight, identical twin off-angle slots, and "Shotgun" - the last notable rapid before the take-out. There are several easy slides and seemingly-unending boulder gardens. Please be low-profile and respectful of the local residents in this area - especially during trout-fishing season.

Take-out at the National Forest boundary sign and do not continue downstream unless you are going ALL the way down to Woodson. Your actions affect everyone's access to this fun little technical run.
Thanks, Gordon