(This page has not been updated in a long time) The purpose of this site is to showcase the Appomattox river, display photos, QuickTimeVR images and provide some brief descriptions of the rapids on the Appomattox. Almost all of the images on these pages are thumb-nails that will expand into nice large pictures if you click on them. You will need QuickTime and QuickTimeVR software loaded onto your PC or Macintosh to view the virtual reality movies. You can also install the QuickTime Plug-in which will allow the movies to play inside of your browser window. Thankfully this is easy to do by visiting the Apple site. More information about QuickTImeVR is at the bottom of this page.

The Appomattox river flows across the fall-line which is the imaginary line between the sedimentary tidewater coastal region and the rocks of the hilly piedmont. This is the point on the Appomattox river where ocean going navigation ends. The five mile long Upper Appomattox Canal was built to bypass the "great falls of Petersburg". Batteau boats were used to navigate the shallow waters above the "great falls" and deliver 1000 pound hogsheads of tobacco from the farms of the piedmond to the city of Petersburg.

Many paddlers in central Virginia area prefer the James River because of the class IV rapids and the dependable amount of water almost all year long. The James also has a great paddler community who you will meet on just about any trip. But if you are looking to get away from the crowds try the Appomattox River in Petersburg. Chances are that on the day you paddle the Appomattox your group will be the only one on the river that day. Three feet on the Matoaca gauge is a good level for an intermediate group, if the river is about three feet you would want advanced paddlers on this trip.

If you are going to paddle the Appomattox you should invest in a good guide book or go with a group that is familiar with this river. High water, remote access, isolation, strainers, and the whirlpool below the Virginia State University bridge are just some of the issues on this whitewater river. There are several books that detail the whitewater on the Appomattox river and I will list them on this page as soon as time permits.

The Coastal Canoeists are a paddling club that usually has several trips scheduled for the Appomattox each year. They are safety minded and a great bunch of paddlers. Their web site has many other links to paddling resources (gauges, weather, clubs, used equipment for sale etc.) that I will not duplicate here. Also for whitewater safety guidelines see the American Whitewater Associations

Strainers are a particular concern on this river. Be especially aware of strainer potential during floods and after storms. Jug Handle and Pipeline get strainered fairly often.

This is a QuickTimeVR enhanced site. QuickTimeVR is a technology invented by Apple computer. It allows you to load an image into your browser and then control the direction that you view by using your mouse. You can look around 360 degrees and zoom in and out. The same presentation using a video clip would create a multi-megabyte file. Thankfully these QuickTimeVR images are about 250K and take just over one minute to download with a 28.8 modem. But first you should visit Apple to download the free software that works with your operating system. It's easy! So bookmark this site. Download the QuickTimeVR software... install it... and come back here! Its Fun! Try it!