The James River Parks System (also known as James River Park or simply JRPS) is a municipal park in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

. It consists of multiple sections along the

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

between the Huguenot Memorial Bridge in the west to a half mile (0.8 km) beyond the I-95 Bridge over the James in the east. It is a part of the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities.

History

JRPS was formed by the City of Richmond in 1972 from a number of private properties that had been donated.

First Land Donation

The first property donated was a 380-acre tract obtained and donated to the city in 1966 by scout leader Charles Joseph “Joe” Schaefer. Schaefer had tried in vain to seek permission for his scouts to camp on a James River Island in 1965, and in the process, he and his former VMI roommate sought to find and secure a two-mile tract of river property to donate to the city as a public park.

Creation of the JRPS in 1972

Ralph White, a former

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an Independent agency of the U.S. government, independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. It was established in Marc ...

volunteer and

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

employee, was hired by the City of Richmond in 1980 as one of several JRPS employees. At the time the river was not in very good condition, owing to littering and years of industrial use of the river White eventually became the manager of JRPS and spent a 32-year career with the city of Richmond, transforming JRPS through advocacy and engaging community groups in volunteer cleanups. In December 2012, White retired and was replaced by Nathan Burrell.

2009 Conservation Easement

In May 2009, a

conservation easement In the United States, a conservation easement (also called conservation covenant, conservation restriction or conservation servitude) is a power invested in a qualified land conservation organization called a "land trust", or a governmental (muni ...

was placed on parcels of the James River Park System. The

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is a Ministry (government department), department of the government of Virginia, United States; it oversees all List of Virginia state parks, Virginia state parks and Virginia Natural Area Pre ...

, th
Capitol Region Land Conservancy
and the EnRichmond Foundation (formerly the Richmond Recreation and Parks Foundation) are the conservation easement holders. This open space and conservation easement, in general, restricts all future development in each parcel, although it does allow for regular maintenance and replacement in kind by th
City of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities

Sections

The number of sections of the park have expanded over time. Some sources say there are currently 19 sections. From west to east, sections include the following areas: * Huguenot Flatwater This connects to the stretch of the James that runs from Bosher's Dam in the west to Z Dam in the east. It is a perfect place for kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding. Nash's Island and Channing's Island, just below Bosher's and just above the Willey Bridge, are good spots to beach and chill. A sandy beach is opposite the Flatwater put in. Other islands are just above Z Dam. The fish ladder in Z Dam is a perfect place for kayaking and for paddle board surfing when the river is high. * Pony Pasture Rapids *The Wetlands * Main Area (includes 43rd St., Buttermilk Trail, Reedy Creek Park Headquarters, and 22nd St. with pedestrian access to Belle Isle. *

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

Climbing Wall A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with manufactured grips (or "holds") for the hands and feet. Most walls are located indoors, and climbing on such walls is often termed indoor climbing. Some walls are brick or wooden constr ...

*Ancarrow's Landing/Manchester Docks * Pumphouse Park and North Bank Trailhead near

Byrd Park Byrd Park, also known as William Byrd Park, is a public park located in Richmond, Virginia, United States, north of the James River and adjacent to Maymont. The park includes a mile-long trail with exercise stops, monuments, an amphitheatre, and ...

* Texas Beach/North Bank Trail near

Maymont park Maymont is a 100-acre (0.156 sq mi) Victorian estate and public park in Richmond, Virginia. It contains Maymont Mansion, now a historic house museum, an arboretum, an Italian and Japanese garden, a carriage collection, native wildlife exhibit ...

* Access to Belle Isle via the Belle Isle Pedestrian Bridge * Tredegar St. Put-In * Pipeline (or Trestle) Trail with views of heron rookery * Great Shiplock Park/Chapel Island

References

External links

2012 JRPS Trail Connectivity Plan

External links

*
Friends of the James River Park System
{{coord, 37.53, -77.48, type:landmark_region:US-VA, display=title Parks in Richmond, Virginia Virginia municipal and county parks