Still several years from completion, the Clinch River State Park does have several parcels of property available for recreation. Once developed, Clinch River State park will highlight the Clinch River’s natural, historical and recreational resources. As the first “blueway” state park, it will consist of several smaller (250-400 acres) anchor properties connected my multiple canoe/kayak access points along a 100-mile stretch of the Clinch.
Some of the access points will be part of the state park, while other partner agencies and localities will own additional launch access points. These properties will comprise a “string of pearls,” or a collection of properties along the Clinch River for outdoor enthusiasts to access the river, participate in educational programing and learn about the river’s ecological diversity. The Clinch River is the second most bio-diverse river in the world, second only to the Amazon River. The Nature Conservancy calls the Clinch—“One of the last, Great Places.”
A river map of the Virginia section of the Clinch River is available at https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1zwdevbqabUkznmC19usJtfxUtkdbraeJ&ll=36.84972074046271%2C-82.3244074&z=11
Currently open to the public:
Sugar Hill, Wise County: Located in St. Paul, Virginia. This unit has about nine miles of hiking trails, a picnic shelter, more than two miles of river frontage, and significant cultural and historical attributes. The property contains remnants of an 18th-century French settlement. Open 6 a.m. to dusk.
Artrip Boat Launch, Russell County: Located four miles east of the town of Cleveland on Artrip Road/SR661. Artrip Boat Launch area: Latitude, 36.9633291. Longitude, 82.1202684.
Clinch River State Park office is currently located at the UVA Wise Oxbow Center, St. Paul, and is available by appointment only. Call 276-254-5487.
https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/clinch-river
