The Richmond Canal Walk

The Richmond Canal Walk is a 1.25-mile historic trail that follows a reconstructed portion of the James River and Kanawha Canal through bustling downtown Richmond, Virginia. During its years of operation, the canal was crucial to the city's industrial development. Today, it unifies a diverse community through a shared appreciation for art, architecture, entertainment, and history.

Richmond’s canal system was conceptualized in 1784, when George Washington petitioned the Virginia General Assembly to subsidize construction for a waterway bypassing the rapids of the James River. This project, Washington anticipated, would eventually extend to the Kanawha River—a tributary to the Ohio River in present-day West Virginia—thereby improving commerce and transportation into the western frontier. The General Assembly approved this request and chartered the James River Company the following year with Washington as its honorary president. Canal construction began in 1789.

In 1790, the first seven miles of the James River and Kanawha Canal were officially opened, making it the first commercial towpath-canal system in United States history. The canal had an immediate impact on Richmond’s industrial might, providing essential waterpower to mills and factories along the James River. In fact, the canal’s innovative and efficient water-channeling system allowed Richmond to become a world leader in flour production and exports by the early 1800s.

Unfortunately, the canal’s commercial successes were not enough to keep the James River Company afloat. During the late 1810s, the company went bankrupt due to unsustainable construction costs and outstanding expenses from the War of 1812. The Virginia Board of Public Works obtained the James River Company’s charter in 1820 and oversaw canal operations until the James River and Kanawha Company assumed ownership in 1835. By 1851, the James River and Kanawha Canal covered 197 miles from Richmond to Buchanan, Virginia, and featured ninety locks along its 728-foot elevation gain. The ensuing decade marked the canal’s most productive years as boat traffic averaged nearly two hundred vessels per day.

During the 1850s, company engineers meticulously planned a 140-mile route through the Appalachian Mountains that would connect the canal with the headwaters of the Kanawha River; however, this phase of construction was never realized. Financial hardships from the Civil War, flooding destruction, and competition with railroads all stymied progress. In 1877, the James River and Kanawha Canal Company conveyed their planned route to the Buchanan and Clifton Forge Railroad, which was later assimilated into the Richmond-Allegheny Railroad. By 1880, the James River and Kanawha Canal was out of operation. Much of defunct waterway succumbed to neglect and demolition in the decades following its closure.

In the early 1990s, Richmond lawmakers approved a series of restoration projects that aimed to revivify the historic canal district and highlight its contributions to the city’s development. These dedicated efforts ultimately created the Richmond Canal Walk—an immersive downtown experience that encapsulates Richmond’s artistic flair, architectural charm, and historic intrigue.

The Canal Walk begins in front of Tredegar Iron Works—a once-massive industrial complex that produced armaments for the Confederate States during the Civil War. While much of the manufactory has been lost to time, several structures still stand as testaments to Richmond’s history. Tredegar’s Pattern Building serves as the National Parks Service’s Visitor Center to Richmond National Battlefield while the neighboring Gun Foundry houses the American Civil War Museum.

From Tredegar, pedestrians may venture to Brown’s Island by crossing the headgates to the Haxall Canal—an 18th century waterway that helped power Richmond’s flour mills. Once across, Belle Isle is visible to the southwest. While this small, 54-acre island may not seem all that impressive, it is arguably one of the most significant landmarks in Richmond. Aside from its extensive industrial history, Belle Isle’s claim to fame (or rather infamy) was its designation as a POW camp during the Civil War. Between 1862 and 1864, the island held over 20,000 Union soldiers, nearly 1,000 of whom succumbed to the camp’s uninhabitable conditions.

Not far from the Haxall Headgates is the T. Tyler Potterfield Bridge. Built upon the ruins of an old hydroelectric dam, this 1,700-foot walkway spans the width of the James River and features a fascinating installation called “Three Days in April 1865,” which details the events surrounding the Evacuation of Richmond. During the Evacuation, thousands of structures were burned to the ground, including the Richmond-Petersburg Railroad, whose stone piers remain standing amidst the roaring James River rapids.

Back on Brown’s Island, you’ll walk past the site of one of the worst industrial disasters in Richmond’s history. On March 13, 1863, a rogue spark ignited gunpowder inside one of Tredegar’s ammunition laboratories, setting off an explosion that rocked the Canal District. Forty-six workers were killed, most of them women and teenagers.

Between 10th and 11th Streets stands the Virginia Railway and Electric Company hydroelectric station. Built in 1901, this massive structure powered Richmond’s electric trolley system—the first commercially successful trolley enterprise in the world. Abandoned in the 1960s, the building has recently been repurposed into an open-air art gallery. Directly across from the hydroelectric plant is the Christopher Newport Cross. Erected in 1907, this monument commemorates the 300-year anniversary of Newport’s landing at Fulton Bottom, located at the east end of Richmond.

Turning onto 12th Street, visitors can see the Tidewater Connection Locks—a series of five granite-lined gates that linked the canal basins to the James River. Over the course of four city blocks, these locks accommodated for a 69-foot change in elevation, a substantial adjustment for such a short distance. An interactive lock model can be found near Virginia Street demonstrating how these engineering marvels worked, two of which are still operational.

Once arrived at Turning Basin Plaza, visitors can explore the vibrant Tobacco District. For nearly two centuries, Richmond was one of the world’s largest tobacco manufacturers. More than fifty factories once lined the canal, filling the streets with their product’s pungent aroma. While Richmond’s tobacco industry has dwindled out in recent decades, many of its warehouses still exist as apartments, museums, restaurants, and other businesses.

The next point of interest is Shockoe Slip, Richmond’s oldest neighborhood. Since the 17th century, Shockoe has been a center of commerce; regrettably, one of its major markets was the slave trade. Thousands of black individuals were merchandised in Shockoe’s auction houses and sold to slaveowners across the country. More information about Richmond’s slave trade history can be found further down the Canal Walk at Box Brown Plaza. Named after Henry “Box” Brown—a former slave who, in 1849, shipped himself to freedom inside a tobacco crate—this small park connects with the Richmond Slave Trail, a separate three-mile path that takes visitors past seventeen landmarks related to the city’s history of slavery.

Across from Box Brown Plaza is the Triple Crossing—one of only two locations in North America where three main-line railways intersect. The Canal Walk ends several hundred feet away from this junction; however, tourists can continue along the Virginia Capital Trail towards Great Ship Lock Park and Rocketts Landing for more fascinating elements of Richmond’s history.

The Richmond Canal Walk is urban exploration at its finest. It is awe-inspiring to appreciate these relics of industry so intimately and learn about the people and events that shaped their respective histories. Appropriate for all ages, interests, and activity levels, this trail is a must-visit Richmond destination. Trail Rating: 9/10