City: Richmond, VA

Category: Parks & Recreation

Address: 8600 Riverside Dr.

Description: This small parking lot fills up on summer weekends, so get there early to put your canoe or kayak in the water, here in the westernmost section of the James River Park System. There’s one boat slide here, and you can paddle up river as far as Bosher’s Dam or go beneath the Huguenot Bridge and wander around the islands with no motorboats to contend with. Just pay attention as there are well-marked and dangerous dams downstream and you must portage to the north to avoid the Z Dam. Don’t be fooled by the notch; it’s for fish coming upriver to spawn, and it’s very dangerous for boaters or tubers. Several people have died here because of the dangerous hydraulics. Stay away! Back near the parking lot on Southampton Road there is a small parking area that has a semi-paved path suitable for wheelchair access to a river overlook.