*During my trip to St. Paul I was a guest of the Town of St. Paul. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

The cool and pristine waters of the Clinch River begin to widen a bit as it approaches the town of St. Paul, Virginia.  In this area, the river is one of the most biodiverse in North America.  The wild nature of Virginia’s “hidden river” makes it great for exploration while the rugged ridges and narrow valleys of the region provide even more room for adventure. Here’s my guide to outdoor adventures and more in St. Paul on the Clinch.

Adventure on Virginia’s “Hidden River”

Start your adventure on the water at Clinch Life Outfitters located in downtown St. Paul. This small business offers tubing and kayaking on the water as well as all the supplies you need for a day of fishing.  The store also offers up an eclectic mix of antiques, homemade candles, t-shirts and old-fashioned candies.

 All tubing and kayaking trips include a van ride to where you start your float down the river. Both are great fun, but the kayaking starts further up the river allowing you to see much more of the scenic Clinch.  Tubing requires no special skills and can be one of the most relaxing ways to enjoy an hour or so on the water.   Just get on the bright pink tube, move out to the center of the river and let the flow take care of the rest.   If not being able to see the “bottom” of the river bothers you don’t worry.  The guides tell you if you fall off, just stand up. Chances are you’ll be able to stand up as the maximum water depth along this stretch is 5 feet.

At times you might not feel like you’re moving at all, but don’t worry, you’ll eventually make your way to the point where you get out.  The Clinch has plenty of large trees lining its banks so staying out of the full sun is possible along the way, but it’s probably still a good idea to put on sunscreen.  There are two sets of small rapids along the way where you might find yourself getting stuck, so just get out and move to the deeper water, otherwise these stretches help speed you along and can be the most fun part of the trip.

Be sure and look for the caboose and ball parks and a set of steps leading up from the river where you’ll get out of the water.  This is just before a big bridge crosses the river.   Just past the bridge are St. Paul Falls, a place where you’re almost guaranteed to flip off your tube and possibly float much further down the river than you should.

Since the Kayaking route covers more of the river you probably have better chances for viewing wildlife and the wild surroundings along the Clinch.   Kayaking of course is a bit more difficult than tubing, but don’t let having not done it before stop you as the Clinch is a great waterway for your first kayaking trip.  

Sugar Hill Trails Adventure

Outdoor adventures along the river don’t have to happen on the water. Running alongside the Clinch River and up on the ridge above it, the Sugar Hill Trails provide plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature and learn a little area history.  In all there are eight miles of hiking and biking trails.  On our recent visit we chose to hike the 3 ½ mile Sugar Hill Loop trail, taking the route along the river then up through the meadow to the top of the ridge.  It’s a big hill to climb, but one with a gentle slope following an old road bed to what’s called the French Settlement.

Now you might wonder, did the French settle in St. Paul?  The answer is, sort of.   A tall brick chimney and the foundation of a home are all that is left of the settlement of Francois Pierre De TuBeuf, a French man who settled on Sugar Hill with his family.  He was murdered in 1775 and his family eventually moved out of the area. Be sure when you make it to the French Settlement that you check out the history about it on the old chimney and at the pavilion built as an Eagle Scout project.

The other part of the Sugar Hill Loop winds through the forest descending down to Oxbow Lake.  Along the way, there are markers describing the wide variety of trees found along the ridge.

The Sugar Hill Trails are in the process of becoming part of one of Clinch River State Park, one of the newest additions to the Virginia State Park system.

Off Road Adventures with a Mountain View

When you pull into St. Paul, chances are you might meet up with an ATV or two on the streets downtown or heading out to the grocery store or to the drive through at Hardee’s.  St. Paul has become a mecca for off road adventures.  The town is one of the trailheads for the Mountain View Trail, part of Virginia’s Spearhead Trail System.

I had been out on an ATV a few times while visiting family in Missouri, but I really wasn’t prepared for the adventure I would have in St. Paul.  For starters, the Mountain View system covers more than five thousand acres with 118 miles of trails.  Our rental, a Polaris 4-seater, came through Polaris Adventures at the Western Front Hotel (St. Paul’s fun and adventurous boutique hotel) where we were staying.

We got an early start, leaving at 9:00 am after watching a brief safety and instruction video.  It was a beautiful Southwest Virginia morning with fog blanketing much of the area.   The first part of the trip was simple enough to navigate, giving me time to get used to driving the Polaris. Eventually the trail moved deeper into the forested ridges where the terrain changed multiple times from smooth dirt trails, to rocky climbs and deep trenched pathways.. 

All trails are marked well and we mostly stayed on the ones marked green.  As a novice ATV rider, I’m not sure I would agree that all of the green trails were “easy” but the Polaris handled it all well.  We even ventured off on a blue trail, which is described as moderate.  It was rocky, steep and scary (for us), but the challenge was met and we made it back to the hotel safely.

ATV rentals through the hotel start at $300, but if you have your own ATV (or other off highway vehicle) there are plenty of places to park and access the trail head.

Adventures in Downtown St. Paul

A day of adventure can leave you pretty hungry and when you’re in St. Paul you’ll find plenty of choices for feeding your appetite or quenching your thirst. Here are some recommendations.

Sugar Hill Brewery

Are you into craft beer or do you just want a great burger or maybe some pretzel crusted chicken?   Sugar Hill Brewery, which gets its name from Sugar Hill on the other side of town, draws in people from all over and is an award winning brewery.

Fat Boy’s BBQ

Don’t expect anything fancy at this no frills, big taste, BBQ restaurant.  The smell from the smokers outside will be enough to convince you to give it a try.  Pulled pork and chicken, ribs and brisket are all on the menu along with creamy mac n’ cheese and baked beans.

Giovanni’s Pizza

This is another no frills local place serving up a 24 slice, 19 inch pizza, a wide variety of sandwiches and even some fried finger foods like mozzarella sticks and fried pickles. 

Fourth Avenue Baked Goods and Cafe

If you’re in the mood for a frappe, a cappuccino, a milk shake or a giant cinnamon roll then this little place in downtown St. Paul should satisfy your appetite. Of course, Fourth Avenue also offers up sandwiches and hearty meals if you’re looking for more to fill you up.

The Western Front Hotel

And if you’re looking for a place to stay, look no further than the Western Front Hotel.  This boutique hotel helped spark the revival of this small town in Virginia’s Coalfields.  Unique elements from brightly colored retro refrigerators in the room to brightly colored oars outside the doors to each room help make everyone feel at home.

A closing note

*When I started writing this, I had planned on including Ina + Forbes Restaurant inside the Western Front Hotel. The Appalachian inspired restaurant from Chef T. (a runner up on Season 14 of Hell’s Kitchen) opened in the summer of 2019, but sadly is closing after September 5th, 2020. Chef T. was one of the reasons I visited St. Paul in the first place. She and I met at Euphoria Greenville, a Food, Wine & Music Festival I’ve attended for many years and invited me up to check out her restaurant and the town last November. Here’s wishing Chef T. the best in whatever she does next!

Check out what I wrote about in my earlier visit to St. Paul (October 2019) and make sure you keep this tiny town in mind when you are looking for big adventures.

If you’ve been to St. Paul or this is getting you excited to visit, be sure and leave a comment and share the post with your friends.