Twin River Outfitters
Kayaking, Canoeing, Tubing & Paddle—Camping Adventures on the Upper James River in Virginia
Choose Your Type of Adventure
Tubing
Fun, easy river trips for the whole family.
Day Trips
Choose a kayak, canoe, or raft.
Multi-Day Trips
2 to 5-day overnight expedition-style trips.
Campgrounds
Primitive river-front tent campsites.
Equipment Rentals
For experienced customers. Only rental equipment (no shuttle).
Overnight Glamping Trips
Multi-day trips with deluxe camping accommodations.
TWIN RIVER OUTFITTERS is the oldest and most experienced outfitter on the Upper James River and has been safely running paddle trips since 1978. Grab your paddle and get ready for an adventure of James River canoeing or kayaking day trips, tubing, or an overnight canoe camping trip. We have paddling experiences that range from floating on a lazy river to thrilling whitewater rafting. Interested in James River tubing? We’ve got you covered with the largest fleet of river tubes in the area. Start exploring Virginia by finding us in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, about 20 miles north of Roanoke!
Over 100 Five-Star Reviews on Tripadvisor!
Keri J Bucket list trip! Amazing We have done many floats with this company. Every drop off has been great! We recently did the two day overnight float! It was amazing. We chose glamping and had the tent right there when we pulled out. We had also pre ordered the firewood which we highly recommend. Tents were awesome. I recommend sight 3 at horseshoe bend. The Adirondack chairs make for a comfy seat around the fire pit. There are 2 tents on that platform. We only packed bedding and food in or kayaks. Made for an easier float for us. We def will be back for more adventures! Steve R Best Outfitter Twin River is the BEST! This is our third trip with them, and every year is exceptional. The campsites get better and better each year, and the equipment is in great condition. selbyfarm Another great trip! We had another great trip with Twin River Outfitters. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable and equipment is top notch. Saw a wide variety of wildlife on the 8 mile trip from Horseshoe Bend downstream to the shop, including: bald eagle, osprey, wood duck, merganser, great egret, white-tailed deer, green heron, great blue heron, Canada geese and cedar waxwings. As Arnold said, "We'll be back!" Liz L Amazing Experience! I loved everything about this company and trip! The staff was amazing! Kayak's were perfect! The river was the best ever! Amazing Day All Around! Highly Recommend this trip, river, company- everything! So much fun! LoveTravel133491 Best time ever!! Twin Rivers is the best. From the minute we got there they were so welcoming and helpful. I highly recommend this place. Every last one of the employees were amazing. P H Great fun paddling the James River The Twin River's staff was excellent. They explained the route thoroughly and provided extensive safety information. The paddle was great fun lots of rapids and ripples but also enough calm water to relax. Liz S Amazing Arcadia Day Trip Personable and helpful staff. Special shout out to: Makayla for the warm welcome and help at "put-in" and upon return to Buchanan; Blake and Isaac at the conclusion of the paddle for help getting boats out of the river; Travis for always being welcoming and hospitable whether at the start of a trip or at the conclusion; and Mike for a safe drive back to the starting point. Kudos and sincere thank you. Liz Glenn M Great staff on a great river Kayaked nice and slow from Buchanan to Arcadia, my grandson and I caught about 20 fish combined, missed on many more strikes. Campsite 1.5 in Arcadia was 50 feet from the water, but was high and dry and flat with a fire ring and two picnic tables. Woke to a ton of rain, we called twin rivers the staff came and got us in 10 minutes. BEAUTIFUL River, great staff too Robert B Awesome trip, great outfitter We did the 2-day, 1-night Glamping trip from Eagle Rock to Buchanan and it exceeded our expectations. The Outfitters were helpful and conscientious during the reservation process, specifically in helping me to determine the most appropriate trip for our level of experience, and in answering my many questions. Upon arrival at their office on the day of the trip, they were kind, helpful, and conveyed a very encouraging, relaxed feeling. (Kudos to Carter !) The equipment (canoes, paddles, dry bags) were in fine condition. We were very pleased with the Glamping option: the campsite is riverside so the rushing of the water provided a beautiful white noise to add to the atmosphere when it was time to sleep. The tents were very roomy, clean, and in good condition. The cots were of acceptable comfort and what one would expect for camping. We also rented a kitchen box which was well-stacked and worth the extra money. It was very convenient that we didn't have to bring tents or cooking equipment with us in the canoes. It helped quite a bit that we stopped at the campsite on our way to the river put-in, so we could drop off sleeping bags and most of our other equipment, making our canoes lighter and less crowded on the first day.Concerning the trip itself, it was a blast. We had limited previous canoeing experience and specifically almost no prior experience running rapids. The river was fairly low when we did our trip, so the main hazard was getting hung up on rocks or occasionally getting briefly grounded in shallow water. The rapids we did encounter were just enough to keep it interesting. The water was warm and, for the most part shallow, so if we had flipped or swamped the canoe I don't think it would have been a major problem, which decreased the stress associated with running the river. The river is very scenic and we saw quite a few birds, one snake, and several river otters during our trip. It is also interesting to see the vestiges of old canal stonework and old bridges. We had the river essentially to ourselves (embarked on a Friday, finished on a Saturday), encountering just an occasional fisherman, so there is a feeling of great peace and solitude on this segment of the river.There is a fair amount of exertion paddling for 7 hours the first day and 3 hours the next day---the current was not that strong so this is not really a float trip; you have to work. That said, if you want a relaxed, but not boring, couple of days in a beautiful and peaceful setting, I would recommend this trip very highly.