The Winding Road to the Canoe Capital of Virginia

The road, full of Piedmont hills and curves as it made its twisting way west, was getting especially difficult to navigate as the sun settled quietly behind the looming Blue Ridge Mountains. The driver wasn’t bothered by either the beauty or the difficult road; rather, he was on a roll. Driving and discussing the success of a meeting for canoe outfitters and liveries that had been held in Scottsville, Virginia, the driver, like the vehicle he was driving, was shifting gears. Trace Noël, co-owner of Shenandoah River Trips in Bentonville, Virginia, was again on a roll or maybe to business partner Edith Appleton, who was sharing the long ride back to Front Royal and had seen this “I’ve got a great idea” mood before, it might appear to be another idea that would demand more time and dedication from an already too busy schedule.

As he drove and pontificated the plan began to unfold – “We are the Canoe Capital of Virginia” Noël insisted out loud, again, and he would know. As founder and President of the Virginia Professional Paddlesports Association (VAPPA) – a trade association of outfitters and canoe rental businesses across the Commonwealth – Noël knew virtually all the outfitters in Virginia and much of the details of their operations. As he ticked off the same litany he had been repeating for the past twenty minutes, the outcome was the same. Warren County has more canoe companies and more rental boats than any other location in Virginia. A long time supporter of and heavily involved in tourism on the state level, Noël recognized the value of making this claim official both to the community as well as regional businesses - not some self proclaimed best burger or world renowned widget that no one ever heard of.

He also knew that Front Royal and Warren County are rich in tourism attractions: surrounded by the Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive, George Washington National Forrest, the Raymond R. “Andy” Guest/Shenandoah River State Park, as well as the Blue Ridge and Massanutten Mountains. Visitors to the area can spend a few hours or days exploring the legendary Shenandoah River or spend days fishing, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, rafting, hiking, horseback riding, climbing, wild flowering, camping, golfing, mountain biking, bird watching, caving, hang gliding or just driving to take in all the natural beauty. But Noël knew that by being the Canoe Capital of Virginia this would give the community an additional edge in the fiercely competitive tourism market.

After weeks of work and formulation, advance lobbying done and with resolutions from both the Town of Front Royal and Warren County in hand, Walker and Noël headed to Richmond armed with a presentation piece to convince the august Rules Committee of the House of Delegates that declaring Front Royal/Warren County the Canoe Capital of Virginia was the right thing to do. House Joint Resolution 756 - the official name of the Canoe Capital bill - was before the most senior committee in the General Assembly that very afternoon. Noël and Walker, both expecting to and planning on having to defend the bill, were elated and stunned when the Speaker of the House asked if committee members had a problem with Front Royal/Warren County being the Canoe Capital of Virginia. After a bit of friendly discussion and story telling no one objected and the bill quickly found its way to the Governor via Senate approval. Several weeks later, on February xx, 1999, the Governor signed HJ-756 into law in February of 1999, naming Front Royal the Canoe Capital of Virginia.

Front Royal - which just might be called “River City” - with three rivers flowing into and/or out of the town limits: The North and South Forks of the Shenandoah as well a the main stream of the “Shenandoah” proper, along with its surrounding county - is an outdoor Mecca to hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. This northern gateway to the Shenandoah Valley now can boast of being the crown jewel of outdoor recreation as well as Canoe Capital of Virginia.