Middle James River Expedition 2026

There’s no better way to learn about the James than by spending five days living on it. For our second expedition of the summer, a new group of high schoolers spent five days and four nights paddling, camping, and getting a hands-on look at the river’s ecology. From navigating rapids to working together as a crew, they got to experience the watershed from a completely new perspective. Below, they’ve shared their own notes, photos, and favorite moments straight from the water.

To learn more about these life-changing trips, visit the James River Expeditions page.

We got settled in the river under the shade of a tall bridge. Some of us were more experienced paddlers than others, but it didn’t affect our speed all too much. The river was shallow and rocky; some terrain was difficult to traverse. Everyone got stuck at least a few times. After a slow start, a delicious lunch of pita bread and hummus fueled us while we observed swimming bugs and the curious velvet ant. It soon became apparent that our presence disrupted a flock of geese. Each time we got close, the geese only flew further down the river. We were also accompanied by the sight of great blue herons and bald eagles. Only one group exited their canoe unexpectedly, but we did get a great demonstration on how to flip a canoe. We took out at James River state park to eat and make camp. To our misfortune, the squirrels had decided that this group was fit for their afternoon acorn bombardments; much to the displeasure of a great many. During green time, campers chose to fish or float in the river; partake in a violent game of Uno; or simply enjoyed where we were. Homesickness has not seemed to set in yet, with four days left and spaghetti for dinner.

Xoxoxoxo,
Written by Caroline and Jake

Today we went on a 14 mile paddling experience. We started the day bright and early and had a nice breakfast! We left around 9:00 am, and started paddling down the river. Immediately, some folks started fishing, but to our disappointment, no catches were made (yet). The first fish was caught around the 6th mile. Once we made it to mile 8, we stopped for lunch, then went out into the water talking and hanging out. Hannah gave some folks a small talk on the macroinvertebrates found in the James.

After lunch, we had around 5 miles left. About 3 to 4 fishes were caught around that time (woop)! Hank had 7 smallmouth bass for the day. We continued down the river and saw some really beautiful scenery. There was an abundance of river grasses, and the James was exceptionally clear in some parts. Additionally, there were some really beautiful and vibrant flowers on the side of the river. We accidentally passed our campsite by over a mile, and had to turn around and paddle upstream. It turned out fine; we all cheered on each other and talked and had fun through the struggle of going upstream. Once we got to the campsite, we scrambled to set up the tents for the people who weren’t there yet and our own. We ended up beating the rain easily once everything was set up. We hung out under a tent and played cards while we waited for our food to be prepared.

Hank, Eliza and Hezekiah

A big thank you to our many partners, including support from the Luck Companies Foundation and AES Corporation, which made this program possible. Together, we are inspiring the next generation of river stewards across our watershed!