Nottoway Scenic River

Unique and massive, one river is a special draw to two states.

Hughes River brook trout fishing

Fishing for brook trout on the Hughes River.

Learn more about Virginia’s Scenic Rivers Program that boasts more than 1,000 miles of waterways through the Commonwealth. 

After the Nottoway Scenic River meanders from Sussex into Southampton County, it waters the Cypress Bridge Swamp Natural Area Preserve—home to a 1,000-year-old grove of giant bald cypress trees, water tupelos, and the largest Carolina ash in the nation. At 72.5 miles, this southeastern stretch of the Nottoway is the longest designated segment in Virginia. It joins the Blackwater Scenic River at the North Carolina line, forming the Chowan River. Fish migrating up from the Chowan make this an outstanding spring fishery for shad and herring, while the Nottoway is home to a prized diversity of freshwater species, including the Roanoke bass, which is found only in a few Virginia waters.