James River Park

06/12/2026

Who's going today? Tall ships from Dock Street Park to Great Shiplock Park!

Join us Richmond SailFest on June 12-14 at Dock Street Park & Intermediate Terminal, Richmond. View festival details. (Museum open normal hours)

06/11/2026

Our general rule is to Leave no Trace. That goes for the wildlife in the Park as well.

What do you do when you see a deer in the Park? Nothing.

06/09/2026

FYI: River levels are low right now, and expected to drop lower into the weekend. This means that many rocks and trees that are normally submerged will either be much closer to the surface or exposed, creating greater risks for those swimming, paddling, or leisurely floating. Please visit our River Safety page before heading our and share that information with your friends.

JRPS River Safety - We have a welcoming whitewater community, and many who are knowledgeable about the James. Travel with them or use a commercial trip to enjoy the James River safely.

06/04/2026

How to interact with wildlife in the Park.

What do you do when you see a deer in the Park? Nothing.

06/01/2026

Thanks to Capital Region Land Conservancy for sharing this!

View the Richmond Times-Dispatch for Sunday, May 31, 2026

05/30/2026

There’s a whole lot to see in the river: rocks, waterfalls, ducks, geese, cormorants, turtles, gar, smallmouth bass, and the hand-hewn stone remnants of Richmond’s past, just to name a few. There are also shifting natural hazards referred to as ‘strainers’.

Strainers are objects that get stuck on rocks and bridge pylons in the river. Typically, strainers are dead trees and tree limbs that have floated downstream with floodwaters and form piles as they accumulate. Strainers can also be human-made objects such as a pinned canoe. Strainers are dangerous because they let water pass through them, but not people or boats. Strainers can be very unassuming, existing just under the water’s surface.

Keep a sharp eye out for strainers as you recreate in the river. If you see a strainer, paddle or swim strongly away from it. If you get caught on a strainer, do not go under it, try to climb on top of it. If you see someone stuck on a strainer, call 911.

Visit jamesriverpark.org/riversafety for more information.

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Spanish language captions of this video are available on YouTube, and the Spanish translation of this caption is in the comments below.

05/29/2026

Start the summer off right with some peaceful birdwatching! Email [email protected] to sign up🕊️

05/28/2026

Just so you know...

Richmond’s park system ranked No. 24 in the nation in the Trust for Public Land’s annual ParkScore Index, earning high marks for amenities and walkability. The city dropped eight spots from last year’s No. 16 ranking, though its overall score only fell by 4.7 points.

Explore Richmond's ranking at the link in the comments ⬇️

05/27/2026

Read this piece in Style Weekly from our friends at the James River Association about swimming in the James. Timely, given the amount of rain we've had recently!

The short answer: yes. The longer answer: It depends.