Sports And Recreation In Richmond
The James River is a great place to lure in smallmouth bass; catfish, bream, largemouth bass and muskie also can be caught. Saltwater fishing can be found nearby in the Hampton Roads area and in Chesapeake Bay. For information about fishing licenses contact the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources; phone (804) 367-1000.
Adventurous things to do in Richmond
Richmond boasts the only urban class IV rapids in the country—a plus for adventure travel enthusiasts. Rafting and tubing trips on the James River are available through River City Adventures; phone (804) 233-4000. Riverside Outfitters, (804) 560-0068, also offers rafting trips as well as tube, canoe and kayak rentals.
Some 60 parks can be found throughout the greater Richmond area. Some of the activities available at the parks include tennis, bicycling, hiking, picnicking, swimming, boating and horseback riding. For information contact the Department of Parks and Recreation; phone (804) 646-5733 in Richmond, (804) 748-1623 in Chesterfield County, (804) 501-7275 in Henrico County or (804) 365-7150 in Hanover County.
James River Park, at 22nd Street and Riverside Drive, is a good place to fish or hike. As part of the park, Belle Isle is reached via a footbridge on Tredegar Street or from the parking lot on 22nd Street. The island has walking trails with interpretive signs, a floating fishing pier and the opportunity for kayaking, canoeing, bicycling and rock climbing.
Pocahontas State Park, in nearby Chesterfield, offers 7,920 acres of outdoor opportunities for camping, swimming, hiking, boating, fishing and other fun things to do.
Sports in Richmond
More than 20 public and private golf courses can be found within the Richmond area. Some of the public and semi-private courses are Birkdale, (804) 739-8800, 8511 Royal Birkdale Dr. in Chesterfield; The Crossings, (804) 261-0000, 800 Virginia Center Pkwy. in Glen Allen; Glenwood, (804) 226-1793, 3100 Creighton Rd.; The Hollows, (804) 883-5381, 14501 Greenwood Church Rd. in Montpelier; and Sycamore Creek, (804) 784-3544, 1991 Manakin Rd. in Manakin-Sabot.
The Richmond Kickers play soccer in the United Soccer League's Professional Division at Richmond City Stadium, 3201 Maplewood Ave.; phone (804) 644-5425 for schedule and tickets.
With four major colleges and universities in the area, Richmond is home to many rivalrous collegiate games, some of the most fun things to do with friends. Basketball and football are popular at the University of Richmond where the Spiders play ball in Robins Center and Robins Stadium, respectively; phone (804) 289-8388. The Virginia Commonwealth University Rams play basketball at the Stuart C. Siegel Center; phone (804) 828-7267. The Panthers at Virginia Union University play football on campus at Hovey Field and basketball at the Barco-Stevens Hall; phone (804) 342-1484. A variety of sports is offered at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, including baseball, football and both men's and women's soccer, basketball, tennis, lacrosse and field hockey; phone (804) 752-7223.
Richmond is home to the Richmond International Raceway, which hosts several NASCAR automobile racing events throughout the year. Located at the Richmond Raceway Complex, the raceway houses some 105,000 reserved seats; phone (866) 455-7223 for tickets and information.