Route 611 to Route 609

7-7-09 ACCESS PROBLEMS: (see comments) The landowner that owns the entire upper section including 'The Falls' has made it absolutely clear that boaters are not allowed on 'his creek'. So consider this wonderful little stretch of water CLOSED. Old beta...5-2009.... Otherwise..... Barbours Creek is a pristine mountain stream. This run is a great intro to creeking. The most serious hazards are usually strainers. Undercuts are infrequent. So when you drive shuttle (see directions tab) be safe and when you park get well out of the road and leave room for others. Take a trashbag and pick up around the put in especially. Wave and smile at local landowners if you pass them while paddling. Talk to them if engaged. Be friendly. Pick up trash. Don't Even Think About Fishing Without Written Permission. To fish take your licenses and go way upstream to Nat'l Forest. 'The Pines Campground' is on Nat'l Forest up between the North and South Prongs and has plenty of free camping and good trout fishing when the prongs are stocked. There seem to always be several natural strainers on this run so keep a close look out for wood everywhere and take it extra slow. As with most small mtn. streams, avoid large groups much over 4 people at a time; this allows everyone to spread out enough, but still stay within eyesight and earshot. This run is about 3 miles and can be done fairly easily in about 2 hours at '0'. This will be a bumpy level but you should have no trouble avoiding strainers and if you're lucky you can tunnel though most of it. After learning the run it is a blast to run laps on at a (+) level. See Also: _Virginia Whitewater_, Roger Corbett (2000 ed.), p. 227. _Exploring Virginia's Waterways_, Ed Gertler (2022 ed.), p. 219.