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Big Island South

Hosted by James · Scottsville, Virginia

2 sites · Tent · 100 acres

93%

16 reviews

Nomadic camping

Best for self-contained campers. There are no toilets, showers, or potable water at this Hipcamp.

Off-leash friendly

Pets can be off-leash at this Hipcamp.

Boat-in

This Hipcamp is accessible by boat.

The Premier Overnight Float Trip Campsite on the Middle James River - Boat in Only---No onsite parking or hiking in. Learn more about this land: Please note this is a boat in only listing--so launch your canoe or kayak upstream to float in and enjoy a stay! You MUST take the south channel (some call it "River Right") as you approach the Seven Islands chain to access Campsite 1. You MUST take the North Channel or "River Left" to access Campsite 2. See satellite imagery. Read on-- Approximately 8 miles downriver from Scottsville and 2.5 miles downriver from the Hardware River Wildlife Management Area, this is the Premier campsite for an overnight float trip on the middle James. With some of the best smallmouth bass fishing the James River has to offer, this is perfect stopover for a take out at the New Canton/Bremo Bluff boat landing 4 miles downstream. Enjoy an overnight or a couple of days. The 2 acre campsites are on an elevated sand and gravel bar on the north and south shores of Big Island. There's ample room for multiple tents and boats. Pools and slow moving water to cool off after your float down, and a great place for catfishing and watching satellite fly-bys at night. Plenty of Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and just about all of Virginia's animals inhabit this section of the James. Enjoy the scenery! KNOW BEFORE YOU BOOK and GO 1. Check out river levels, forecasts and warnings. There can be class 1 and 2 rapids (and more) depending on river height. Very experienced paddlers only once the river gets above approximately 5.0 feet or so at Scottsville. The host will gladly rebook your stay should the river height not be safe for your group. Check James River height at Scottsville or other reputable data source. 2. You must take the south channel (some call it "River Right") as you approach the Seven Islands chain to access Campsite 1. You must take the North Channel or "River Left" to access Campsite 2. See satellite imagery. 3. Both campsites are only accessible by canoe, kayak or other small craft from the west/upriver. 4. Cell phone coverage is very spotty in this section of the river bottom.

from

$41

/ night

2 sites

Select a site

Tent-only sites

2 sites

CampSite 1 So Channel River Rt

100%

(20)

Tent site · Sleeps 12

Campsite 1 is on the south channel, or river right of the Big Island Chain. Depending on river height, can have very large sandy beaches and campsites both under shade trees or in the open. Awesome scenic views up and down river. Lots of slow moving pools to wade in. Very important: This is a float in only listing. There are public boat landings to park and launch your boat. You cannot walk to either campsite or access them via land. When you depart, most people hug the island east of the campsite. See photo.

Campfires allowed

No toilet

No potable water

Pets allowed

No showers

No picnic table

from

$41

/ night

for 8 guests

CampSite 2 N Channel Rivr Left

70%

(5)

Tent site · Sleeps 12

Campsite 2 is on the North Channel or River Left around the Big Island chain. It is closest to the Fluvanna bank and Railroad tracks. There is a long section of dry creek bed with sand and gravel to camp on and 2 options to beach your boats. Most of this site is shaded. Very important: This is a float in only listing. There are public boat landings to park and launch your boat. You cannot walk to either campsite or access them via land.

Campfires allowed

No toilet

No potable water

Pets allowed

No showers

No picnic table

from

$41

/ night

for 8 guests

from

$41

/ night

2 sites

Reviews

93% Recommend43 ratings · 16 reviews

Recommends

· August 2024

Tent ·

CampSite 1 So Channel River Rt

James was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable! Made sure we knew everything about the river and campsite we needed to to have a fantastic and safe trip, even called me and walked me through every land marker and part of the river I needed to pay attention to. Fantastic and helpful owner!!

Glen P.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· April 2024

Big Island South

Tent · Group trip ·

CampSite 1 So Channel River Rt

If you enjoy overnight canoe trips Big Island offers an ideal spot for camping. This is a canoe in site only. While the area is a bit rocky there are enough areas with small river rock that with a thermorest/sleeping pad offer good tent sites. The view up river to the west is superb. Ample wood for a nice campfire and you can fish and swim/ wade right from camp. With the number of folks that paddle and overnight this section of river it’s nice to know you can reserve this site and have a guaranteed river side campsite. Note that approaching and leaving the site there are a number of class 1-2 ledge type rapids that in low water require some navigating. We had a great trip and will reserve this site again.

David W.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· July 2023

Tent · Group trip ·

CampSite 1 So Channel River Rt

Fantastic offering, and thankful to have this campsite as an option!

Max J.

4 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2023

Awesome Island Camping!!!

Tent · With kids ·

Big Island on the Middle James

Amazing camping!! It felt like we had the entire river to ourselves as late afternoon arrived and the flow of kayaks and canoes slowed down. Plenty of space for tents and exploring, great shallow swimming pools for our kids, and lots of shade during the hottest part of the day. We will definitely be back! Word of warning - read and pay attention to the instructions on STAYING LEFT when you leave the island. There are lots of rocks and some tricky rapids in the center.

Charlie D.

3 years on Hipcamp

Not recommend

· June 2023

DON'T GO unless you know the area!!

Tent · Group trip ·

Big Island on the Middle James

Long story short...there were rapids & rocks galore & after 5 hours we never found the campsite! We ended up going back upstream towards the boat ramp & found a small place to camp for the night since it was starting to get dark out! Only go here if you're familiar with the area & comfortable maneuvering through rapids & huge rocks! When we tried to call the host we got no answer... multiple times! Let a message & got no return call.

Beth C.

3 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2023

Great experience

Tent ·

Big Island on the Middle James

Had a great time staying here! I will definitely book again when the time comes.

John L.

2 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2023

Peaceful and Private

Tent · Group trip ·

Big Island on the Middle James

Beautiful stretch of river. Had a small group paddle trip from Scottsville to Bremo Bluff, and stayed here overnight to break up the trip. Campsite was peaceful with great spots to set up multiple tents. Very peaceful with great fishing and swimming right from the "beach" on the island. Saw an incredible amount of wildlife (Bald Eagles, Osprey, Herons, Turtles, and much more). Saving this campsite to my list to stay again!

Chris G.

4 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· October 2022

Bald Eagles, Rapids, Ideal Views!

Tent · With pets ·

Big Island on the Middle James

Such a gem of a camp site. We put in at Hardware River boat ramp, stayed 1 night, and took out at Bremo Bluff boat ramp. There were a few patches of small rapids the closer we were to the island - nothing bad at all. Our river level was about 4.1 ft. An ideal weekend! Campsite 1’s side of the island had multiple fire pit areas and good tent sites. We opted to stay right on the bank, as there was more sand and fewer larger stones. But that wasn’t the only spot to fit that description. Saw bald eagles swooping over the misty morning river. 10/10, will stay here again!

Savannah T.

7 reviews

Recommends

· August 2022

Awesome site

Tent ·

Big Island on the Middle James

A good buddy and I camped at Campsite 1 on Big Island for a single night during a short day and a half river canoe trip on the middle James. The camp is in a beautiful spot, with just enough river noise and plenty of space for multiple tents. Firewood was plentiful as well. Great view of the moon and stars from the sites nearest the water. Be aware you will need to be able to navigate Class 1 and Class 2 rapids to get into and out of the site, but that's part of the fun!

Sean R.

2 reviews

Recommends

· June 2022

My favorite river camping spot

Tent · Group trip ·

Big Island on the Middle James

Truly this spot is a gem! I've camped here twice now and at different river levels, and it's the best spot I know to camp on the James. First, there's the comfort knowing that you've paid to camp there. Second, it's a lovely beach area with plenty of space for camping. We even hit it at pretty high flows (with lots of experience with swift water) and there was still land to camp and hang out on. Third, for all the sites I look for when paddling other sections or on other rivers, this hits all the marks: there isn't a road or house in view (despite a small opening in the trees far across the river), it's forested all around, you have plenty of places to swim and wade, there are rocky and sandy areas to camp (i.e., not muddy), and lots of cool areas to explore. We could even see the milky way at night! I'd hate to blow up this spot, but it'd also be unfair to not share what a lovely spot this is!

Will D.

4 reviews

Recommends

· July 2021

Group trip ·

Big Island on the Middle James

Great secluded stay with perfect campsite set up and plenty of firewood right at the spot. Will definitely stay there again.

Shane B.

4 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2021

Group trip ·

Big Island on the Middle James

Great large site with dry streambed to explore.

Ryan D.

4 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2021

Big Island on the Middle James

Incredible getaway, almost don’t want anyone else to find this little gem!

Cass C.

4 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· September 2020

Group trip ·

Big Island on the Middle James

This is a great campsite. Plenty of space, excellent views, and a nice riffle in the river adjacent to the site where we spent a few hours relaxing in the water. The ground is very rocky, so make sure to bring a sleeping pad or even small air mattress if you can fit it on your boat.

Scott F.

2 reviews

Recommends

· June 2020

Group trip ·

Big Island on the Middle James

What an awesome spot! We arrived at the site on a Friday when the river level was about 6.5ft at Scottsville and we left at flows of about 5.5ft on Sunday. We had plenty of space to spread out and camp. Note, the ground can be pretty rocky (round river rock), so make sure you have a back pad. I'm sure at lower levels there is more sand to camp on, but most of the landscape (like you see in the pictures) is rocky. Still, I've camped on many islands, and this one was by far one of my favorite! Enjoy!!

Will D.

4 reviews

Recommends

· June 2020

Big Island on the Middle James

James was very polite and responsive. Great site overall. Beautiful spot and scenery. Pay careful attention to where you are, for it would be easy to miss.