About us
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
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Paddle the Smith River- May First Saturday Outing
North Bassett canoe access, trent hill drive, Bassett, VA, USDRBA will host the May 2, 2026, First Saturday Outing on the Smith River from the Bassett Access to the Great Road Access for a 5-mile paddle. Wayne Kirkpatrick, avid paddler and a DRBA Outings Committee Member, will coordinate the trip.
Where to Meet:
Participants are asked to meet by 9:00 a.m. at the Bassett Canoe Access, 271 Trent Hill Drive, Bassett, VA (GPS 36.76992,-80.00147) to unload boats and gear and set the shuttle. Constructed through a partnership of DRBA and Henry County, both the Bassett and Great Road accesses are part of the Smith River Trail System, a growing network of blueways and greenways designed to connect riverside communities through Henry County, VA, downstream to Eden, NC.About the Access:
The Bassett Canoe Access, opened in 2006, is located at the now dormant J. D. Bassett Chair Factory, which “stands as a silent testament to an historic furniture industry that once supplied America,” according to “An Insider’s Guide to the Smith River.” As the Smith runs through the town of about 1,030 residents, remnants of the past remind paddlers of the river’s history. In the 19th century, Smith’s River Navigation Company built rock wing dams and sluices to enable long, narrow batteaux to haul iron and grain to market in Danville. Although commercial navigation on the river was short-lived, the company’s wing dams survived and were modified by twentieth-century riverside industries for water intakes. Shortly below the put-in, paddlers will pass the “Leaning Tower of Bassett,” one of these later structures.On river left, the Norfolk Southern Railway line parallels the river the full length of the float, serving past and present factories in this important industrial center. About a mile into the trip, on river right is the Bassett Historical Center, which houses a wealth of local historical and genealogical materials used by patrons from around the world. Just downstream is the third of six bridges that span this section of the river.
A short distance below the fifth bridge is Blackberry Creek, entering from river right. The Great Wagon Road crossed the Smith River nearby, providing a route for settlers migrating through the region in days gone by.
From Blackberry Creek for a half mile is “The Hayfields,” where the river is shallow and “trout fishing is best accomplished by wading,” according to avid trout fisherman Brian Williams. Trout thrive throughout this portion of the river. The take-out is at the Great Road Access which opened in September 2010. Solutia Performance Films (now owned by Eastman) granted easements for the access and for an adjacent 500-foot-long trail.What to Bring:
Participants in the outing are asked to bring boat, paddle, life jacket, water, snacks and/or lunch; wear water-shedding artificial fabric or wool (not cotton, and certainly not blue jeans) Since the river may be shallow in places, wear shoes appropriate for wading. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver.Directions:
Google Maps: https://share.google/6STGHtMwoEUOLKSRS
From US 220 north of Martinsville, take the VA 57 West/Fairystone Park Highway exit towards Stanleytown/Bassett. In Bassett, turn right onto Trent Hill Drive (Rt. 666). You will immediately cross the Smith River, continue along Trent Hill Dr. to the Bassett Canoe Access to 271 Trent Hill Drive (GPS 36.76992,-80.00147) which will be on the left beside the factory building.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/besafeoutdoorsOutings and meetings of the Dan River Basin Association are open to the public without charge.
For trip information, contact trip coordinator Wayne Kirkpatrick at wynbtyk@embarqmail.com or by phone at 540-570-3511.2 attendees
Past events
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