September First Saturday Outing on Banister River
September 1, 2018
9:45 AM - 3:00 PM
For its September 1 First Saturday Outing, the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) will explore a new section of the Banister River. Trip coordinator for the 3.5-mile float from Terry’s Bridge (US Highway 360) to Wolf Trap Bridge (Route 716) is Halifax Town Manager Carl Espy, avid paddler and former DRBA board member. For boat rentals and shuttle, contact Three Rivers Outfitters, 336-627-6215, www.3-r-o.com. The outing is suitable for novice paddlers.
Participants will meet at the gravel parking entry to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wolf Trap Wildlife Management Area at Terry’s Bridge, James B. Hagood Hwy (US 360), Halifax, VA, GPS (36.744380, -78.842424), at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 1, to set the shuttle and begin the float. Directions may be obtained at.
“Public enjoyment of the Banister has continued to increase since the King’s Bridge Landing opened in April 2015, in the Town of Halifax, 6.2 miles upriver,” Espy stated, and although facilities at the put-in and take-out are not yet developed, he assures participants “the sandy/muddy embankment shouldn’t be a challenge for DRBA’s outing.”
In its 2012 Scenic River Report, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) staff noted “From Terry's Bridge to the confluence with the Dan, the Banister Wildlife Management Area fans and expands out along both sides of the river. This area features a mature lowland forest offering an aesthetic experience much different than much of the corridor banks.”
According to the Roanoke River Basin-Upper Reach’s Banister River Blueway interpretive sign, paddlers should embark on this journey with nature in mind, experiencing an ample tree canopy with abundant opportunities for wildlife viewing which has changed very little since the time Colonel William Byrd, II travelled through the “charming low grounds” when returning to his Westover Plantation near Richmond from North Carolina with John Banister, III, the son of Virginia’s first naturalist, for whom the river was named. “We pitched our tents upon Banister River, where we feasted on a young buck which had the ill luck to cross our way.” A Journey to the Land of Eden in the Year 1733
Participants are asked to meet at 10:00 a. m. at Terry’s Bridge, James B. Hagood Highway (US Hwy 360), Halifax, VA, GPS (36.744380, -78.842424), on the east side of US Highway 360 at the river’s south bank, downstream. Dress in synthetic fabric, be prepared to get wet, and bring boat, paddles, life jacket for each boater, lunch, and water. Although the trip is not technically demanding or hazardous, all boaters will be asked to sign a waiver.
To reach the put-in from US 58 at South Boston, VA (Halifax County Tourism Office, 1180 Bill Tuck Hwy), turn northeast on US 360 (James B. Hagood Hwy). Continue 5.1 miles and turn right just before the bridge over the Banister to reach the narrow gravel parking area.
All First Saturday Outings of the Dan River Basin Association are free and open to the public. For further information about the trip, contact Carl Espy, 434-470-1424, espy4@ mindspring.com
