A guide to Craig Creek: tubing, paddling, swimming and fishing
How to enjoy the creek that runs past Wilderness Adventure: tubing, kayaking, swimming spots, fishing and when the water is best.
Craig Creek runs right past Wilderness Adventure. It flows by New Castle and on through Craig and Botetourt counties to join the James River near Eagle Rock, and on a hot summer day it's the coolest place in the county. Here's how to enjoy it, whether you want to float, paddle, swim or fish.
Tubing Craig Creek
Tubing is the most popular thing to do on the creek in summer, and it's the easiest way to spend an afternoon here. You don't need any experience: sit back and let the current do the work. At Wilderness Adventure you can rent a tube with a life jacket for a float of 45 minutes to an hour and a half, and the shuttle is included, so you don't have to walk back upstream.
Prices and booking are on our activities and rentals page. Call ahead on busy summer weekends.
Kayaking and canoeing
Craig Creek is mostly gentle Class I–II water, which makes it a good place to learn to paddle. We rent kayaks with three drop-off points, for trips of about 40 minutes, an hour and a half or two hours, and canoes with paddles and life jackets for the whole boat. Shuttles are included with every water rental. If you'd rather practice somewhere calm first, our two ponds are a good place to start.
The creek runs best in spring and fall, or after a good rain. In a dry summer some stretches get too shallow to paddle, so you may find yourself walking the boat over the riffles. The US Geological Survey has a stream gauge on the creek, Craig Creek at New Castle (number 02017300), which is the easiest way to check the water level before you go.
Swimming and wading
On a hot day, a swim in the creek after a hike or a bike ride is hard to beat. Much of the creek is shallow and rocky, so wear water shoes and watch for slippery stones. Put children in life jackets. Every tube, kayak and canoe rental here comes with one. Stay out when the water is high or muddy after a storm.
Fishing
The easiest fishing at Wilderness Adventure is on our two stocked fishing ponds. If you'd like to try the creek itself, the Forest Service's Craig Creek Recreation Area is about 20 minutes from New Castle. The creek there is stocked with trout, and there's a small swimming hole too.
Anyone 16 or older needs a Virginia freshwater fishing license. In stocked trout waters you also need a trout license from October through mid-June, and the Forest Service asks for a national forest stamp at Craig Creek Recreation Area. Check the current rules with Virginia's Department of Wildlife Resources before you cast.
Look after the creek
- Pack out your trash. That includes bottle caps, snack wrappers and anything that floats away from a tube.
- Use public access points. A lot of the land along the creek is private, so only get in and out where you're allowed to.
- Leave the rocks where they are. Building rock dams and moving stones disturbs the fish and insects that live underneath.
- Use biodegradable soap, well away from the water. Our camp groups follow Leave No Trace principles, and so can you.
Looking for more to do nearby? Read our guides to hikes and rivers near Wilderness Adventure and waterfall hikes near Roanoke.
