Freemans Ford to Kelly's Ford

Trip Overview

On a nice breezy spring day myself and a paddling partner set out up the Rappahannock. Parking at Freemans Ford is very limited--maybe a couple cars could fit at the grass pulloff--but the river wasn't too busy when we got there. Put-in is under the bridge there. The Remington gauge was at 4 ft and we had no trouble with low spots or difficult exposed rock sections. The first eight and a half miles toward Kelly's Ford was relatively placid, though there is a quick section where the rapids run perpendicular to the general direction of the river going under the railroad bridge south of Remington; if you hit it too straight on you're liable to get pretty damp. About a mile out of Kelly's Ford the first of a series of quick class II material appears which was great fun, plenty splashy, with paths to go forward across the whole river. The takeout at Kelly's Ford is past the bridge river right, and the ramp there is quite good for take out.