Whitewater lovers from around the flock to the Virginia-Kentucky border for this river.
River Slideshow
Russell Fork gorge plunges to a depth of 1,650 feet at Breaks Interstate Park.
The 1,650-foot depth of Russell Fork gorge is an attraction to kayakers around the world.
Hughes River brook trout fishing
Fishing for brook trout on the Hughes River.
Often called the “Grand Canyon of the South,” the Breaks gorge is, at 1,650 feet, the deepest gorge east of the Mississippi and the centerpiece of Breaks Interstate Park on the Virginia-Kentucky border.
During weekends in October, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases 800 to 1,100 cubic feet per second of water from the Flannagan Reservoir, generating Class V technical whitewater on the Russell Fork as it sweeps through the narrow gorge. Skilled whitewater aficionados from around the world flock to the Russell Fork for “The Lord of the Fork,” an extreme Class V downriver race held the last weekend in October. The gorge affords world-class rock climbing, as well.
