What we’re about
The Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) protects and promotes the Dan River Basin through recreation, education and stewardship.
Activities include a public outings in nature, trails and river access work groups, cleanups and more.
Outdoor enthusiasts and concerned citizens organized the Dan River Basin Association to preserve and promote the wilderness-like rivers of this border region of Piedmont North Carolina and Virginia. Leaders in the Basin's counties recognize the increasing importance of the abundant high-quality water in this 3300-square-mile region. In addition to its economic value as a water source and its historical significance as a means of transportation, this river system can provide excellent recreational opportunities to the 1.5 million citizens who live within an hour's drive.
The Association's founders are promoting the rivers for multiple uses, including recreation and commercial and municipal growth. DRBA assists localities in creating community parks, trails and access to local rivers and streams. We believe that, with careful planning, natural and cultural preservation and economic development can occur hand-in-hand. The unspoiled rivers, the region's unique and greatest resource, will be at the center as the sixteen counties of the Basin build a diverse economy, which must be based in part on new ideas. The Dan River Basin Association believes that providing outdoor recreation is essential to the region's quality of life and its ability to draw new investment.
As the region’s leading advocate and largest provider of programs and services to support the protection and preservation of our natural and cultural resources, the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) is committed to ensuring ALL communities view DRBA as an organization that is responsive and inclusive. To fulfill this commitment, we are strongly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work and to being a culturally competent organization. DEI policies and issues are concerned with the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to protection from environmental and health hazards. We remain committed to being a more culturally competent and inclusive organization and to ensuring all of DRBA's programs and services are easily accessible, promoted to, and embraced by, our diverse community.
The Dan River Basin Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in North Carolina and Virginia, with basin-wide membership and directors representing both states, and offices and professional staff in Collinsville, Virginia and Eden, North Carolina.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Paddle the Dan River in Stokes County- May FSOHanging Rock State ParK(Dan River Access Parking Lot), Danbury, NC
You're invited to DRBA's May 3, 2025, First Saturday Outing on a popular section of the Dan River for a paddle from Hanging Rock State Park to Moratock Park in Danbury, NC. Wayne Kirkpatrick, DRBA volunteer and an avid kayaker, will coordinate the scenic 4.5-mile float.
Details:We'll meet by 9:00 a.m. at the Hanging Rock State Park canoe access off Flinchum Road (GPS coordinates: 36.4299, -80.2482) to unload boats and gear and set the shuttle.
1258 Flinchum Rd, Danbury, NC 27016
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FU4fBZtma3Cw77NJ6
About the Paddle:According to Kirkpatrick, the scenery is magnificent. "This outing goes through one of the most scenic sections of the Dan River in Stokes County. One of the most popular stretches of the Dan River, there are incredible bluffs that come straight down to riverside along with areas of dense rhododendron.”
Along the way, there is a cave in a rock cliff and near the end of the trip, he adds, is “a quarter-mile-long bluff that is stunning.”
At normal levels this section offers mostly calm waters with one easy Class II rapid at Moratock Park, just before the take-out. The easy put-in and take-out make this an excellent family trip.
Shortly after the put-in, boaters will pass under the NC 89 Highway Bridge. About three miles into the trip is Seven Island Bridge. Except for these two landmarks, most of the trip reveals little evidence of human disturbance.
Most of the trip will be through lands recognized by the state of North Carolina as State Natural Heritage Areas, and about half a mile is in Hanging Rock State Park. Besides natural ledges, paddlers will pass vee-shaped fish traps, used for centuries by Native Americans and European settlers to channel fish into nets or baskets during their annual spawning runs.
After loading boats at Moratock Park, participants may enjoy visiting the historic 1843 Moratock Furnace, a 40-foot-high granite structure where iron ore from local mines was smelted. According to "The Dan River Atlas," water from the river was channeled through "an ingenious tunnel through the horseshoe bend" to power the bellows for the furnace. Only the furnace near the canoe access remains today.
Additional interesting facts about this river section's history, culture, and nearby attractions are found in Maps 68 -- 70 of DRBA's publication, "An Insider's Guide to the Dan River in North Carolina and Virginia," available at our online store.
Paddling Info:Participants in the outing need to provide boat and paddles, life jacket, lunch and water, to dress in layers of artificial (quick-drying) fabric or wool, and to sign a waiver.
BE SAFE OUTDOORS!
Be sure to check DRBA's safety tips for hiking and paddling before you head out for an outdoor adventure! https://www.danriver.org/besafeoutdoors
For trip information, contact trip coordinator Wayne Kirkpatrick at 540-570- 3511 or wynbtyk@embarqmail.com.
Outings and meetings of the Dan River Basin Association are open to the public without charge.DIRECTIONS: To reach the Hanging Rock Access from Stuart, VA, travel south on Route 8. Turn left on Route 89. Travel about ¼ mile, and turn right onto Flinchum Road, which is marked by a brown DAN RIVER ACCESS sign. Drive past the Dan River Company on the way to the concrete launch ramp.
From the town of Danbury, travel west on Route 89. Pass the hospital and the road to Hanging Rock State Park. About one mile west of the hospital, turn left onto Flinchum Road, which is marked by a brown DAN RIVER ACCESS sign. Drive past the Dan River Company on the way to the concrete launch ramp.According to Kirkpatrick, the scenery is magnificent. "This outing goes through one of the most scenic sections of the Dan River in Stokes County. One of the most popular stretches of the Dan River, there are incredible bluffs that come straight down to riverside along with areas of dense rhododendron.”
