Boat Ramps Nearby
Illustration Life jackets
The life jacket rule for every paddler
What the Coast Guard requires on kayaks and canoes, and kids' vests with head support.
Life jacket rulesBoat ramps in Virginia
190 launches in 91 cities.
The cities with the most launches are Newport News (12), Richmond (6) and Virginia Beach (6). See them on the map
What Virginia offers on the water
| Boat ramps | 141 |
|---|---|
| Kayak and canoe launches | 29 |
| Fishing piers and access | 26 |
| Marked free | 25 |
Lakes, rivers and bays near these launches: Burke Lake, Codham Bay, Old Wormley Creek, Bennett's Creek, Lone Star Lakes, Four Mile Run, Staunton River, Craig Creek.
Guides for Virginia boaters: launching a boat, ramp etiquette and launch fees.
Illustration 
Illustration Ramp etiquette
12 rules regulars expect you to know
Staging, courtesy docks and the Clean, Drain, Dry laws that can bring a fine.
Ramp etiquetteBoat ramps by city
- Newport News12
- Richmond6
- Virginia Beach6
- Alexandria5
- Gloucester Courthouse5
- Lynchburg5
- Norfolk5
- Suffolk5
- Ashburn4
- Buchanan4
- Cape Charles4
- Chester4
- King George4
- Weber City4
- Charlottesville3
- Chesapeake3
- Covington3
- Deltaville3
- Fairfax Station3
- Fredericksburg3
- Luray3
- Occoquan3
- Onancock3
- Portsmouth3
- Smithfield3
- Stuart3
- Williamsburg3
- Arlington2
- Bridgewater2
- Brookneal2
- Chatmoss2
- Clifton Forge2
- Dumfries2
- East Hampton2
- Front Royal2
- Hampton2
- Lake Monticello2
- Radford2
- Roanoke2
- Short Pump2
- Stephens City2
- Altavista1
- Ashland1
- Bealeton1
- Berryville1
- Blackstone1
- Bracey1
- Brambleton1
- Brandermill1
- Buckhall1
- Burke1
- Cana1
- Carrollton1
- Castlewood1
- Centreville1
- Chincoteague1
- Clarksville1
- Clintwood1
- Collinsville1
- Colonial Beach1
- Colonial Heights1
- Culpeper1
- Danville1
- Farmville1
- Ferrum1
- Gainesville1
- Glasgow1
- Glen Allen1
- Gloucester Point1
- Great Falls1
- Haymarket1
- Lexington1
- Lorton1
- Martinsville1
- Monterey1
- North Shore1
- Pembroke1
- Rocky Mount1
- Shawnee Land1
- Shenandoah1
- Southern Gateway1
- Springfield1
- Stafford1
- Staunton1
- Sterling1
- Strasburg1
- Warsaw1
- Waynesboro1
- West Point1
- Woodstock1
- Wyndham1
Boat ramps in Virginia: questions and answers
How many public boat ramps and launches are in Virginia?
We list 190 launches in 91 cities across Virginia.
Which lakes and rivers in Virginia have the most boat ramps?
On our map: Burke Lake (2), Codham Bay (2), Old Wormley Creek (2), Bennett's Creek (2), Lone Star Lakes (2) and Four Mile Run (1). Plenty of Virginia waters have only one public launch.
Are boat ramps in Virginia free?
25 of the 190 launches in Virginia are marked free in the map data. Most others in Virginia have no fee information, and state parks and Corps of Engineers lakes usually charge a day-use fee.
Where can you launch a kayak in Virginia?
We list 29 kayak and canoe launches in Virginia, for example Bridgeview Park Kayak Launch in Bridgewater, Carrollton Nike Park Boat Ramp in Carrollton, Saint Paul Boat Launch in Castlewood and Marrowbone Creek Kayak and Canoe Access in Chatmoss.
Where are the fishing piers in Virginia?
26 fishing piers and fishing access sites, including Spillway in Blackstone, Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park Fishing Pier in Brambleton, Accessible Fishing Deck in Bridgewater and Cape Charles Fishing Pier in Cape Charles.