dutch gap conservation area

A very well marked and well kept quiet spot in the RVA area. Plenty of trail to hike, and quiet fishing spots

We stopped by here by chance on a road trip, and I hope to find an excuse to go back! We love water, so the scenery was perfect for us. I recommend it!

Dutch Gap is a great place to enjoy time surrounded by mother nature. Kayaking or Canoeing the lagoon is a real treat. But the trick is getting your boat to the lagoon. Read on...The "gap" is a manmade channel that now makes up the main channel of the James River. Dug in the late 19th century to shorten the journey upriver to Richmond, the gap left an oxbow lake and "island" behind. This island was later quarried for sand and gravel until the 1960's leaving the lagoon which is connected by another smaller channel to the old river channel. Access to The conservation area is via the park entrance is at Henricus Park (another great attraction and you should visit the two together if you have time). There is no fee for the Dutch Gap Conservation but there is a fee for Henricus Park.The conservation area consists of a bike / hike trail of about 5 miles around the lagoon. Inside the lagoon is a kayak trail marked with a few buoys. Accessing the lagoon by kayak or canoe is the tricky part. Official public access to the lagoon is via the public landing on the James river, just north of the Park. But this is quite a long paddle to the old river channel and then to the lagoon. The best access is to portage your boat to one of the landings or directly to the lagoon itself. The first landing and dock inside the park is off the Sycamore spur trail. You can paddle from here to the lagoon channel. See the map for details. I use my own custom kayak trailer to achieve this, so I can enjoy all my time in the lagoon instead of getting there and back. The county government runs the site and they can access via vehicle. The county also offers interpretive kayaking tours in the lagoon for a fee at different times in the year. The lagoon and this part of the James river are tidal so its good to keep that in mind when planning your visit. At very low tides, some parts may be too shallow to access. One interesting feature to explore are the remains of old barges used by the mining. Mostly wooden the abandoned barges either sunk below the surface and some have even formed the foundations of new islands. Its really cool to explore this "graveyard". Nearby the Conservation area lies Dominion power's large coal fired electric plant. The juxtaposition of a Conservation area next to the poster child of climate change makes you think a bit. I see it as part of the complex reality of our world. We all like to turn on the switch and have the lights come on, and we want to keep that electricity price low! Dominion seems to be

Area is not well known so not many visitors, a plus. It is near a power plant and nearby you see mountains of the ash generated from burning the coal. It appears well contained. There are platforms to observe the wildlife. In the spring lots of nesting birds with wood ducks offering great opportunities for photographers. Nothing to the dislike, even the game warden are friendly.

great place to enjoy nature especially HIKE and see lots of wildlife or go fishing or kayaking fun place

Great park to walk or ride your bike. However it is located between the James River (beautiful) and the settling ponds for the worst air polluter in Virginia - Dutch Gap Dominion Power Plant.