If you are looking to hook a large mouth bass, take in the natural wildlife on a horse trail, paddle down the Blackwater River, or hire a local outfitter's service to find Thanksgiving dinner, then you have found the outdoorsman's paradise. The City of Franklin and Southampton County are known throughout the Commonwealth for their abundant wildlife and local services catering to the avid hunter or equestrian.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation recently designated the Blackwater River, from Proctor's Bridge Road to its confluence with the Nottoway River at the Virginia North Carolina border, as a Virginia Scenic River. In addition, the Nottoway River has been designated as a Virginia Scenic River since 1979 from Route 40 at Stony Creek to Route 653 Carey's Bridge Road.
Virginia's Scenic Rivers program is reserved for those streams and rivers that posess outstanding scenic, recreational, historic, and natural characteristics of statewide significance for future generations. For those of you that are bird watchers, photographers, or love to see Virginia's unique flora and fauna, the Blackwater, Nottoway, and Meherrin rivers are for you.
The two communities offer a wide variety of the following outdoor recreational activities and services:
River Recreation
Hunting
Equestrian
Golf
Bowling
Tennis
Swimming
River Recreation
Blackwater Nottoway Riverkeeper Program
Learn where all the locations are to catch a variety of different fish and follow the Riverkeeper's efforts to maintain the local community's clean and pristine rivers.
www.blackwaternottoway.com
PO Box 44
Sedley, VA, 23878
(757) 562-5173
Blackwater Outfitters - Nottoway River Guides
Explore the rivers of Franklin and Southampton through several different options of guided kayaking tours. Blackwater Outfitters also sells, rents, and repairs kayaks and canoes.
www.blackwateroutfittersva.com
240 S. Main Street
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 56WATER
blackwateroutfitters@verizon.net
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Hunting
Raccoon Creek Sports
Twelve miles of roads and paths on 2,100 acres along the Nottoway River provide access to the best deer, turkey, duck, and small game hunting in Virginia. Great deer hunting is about being in the right place, at the right time, and Raccoon Creek's mission is to make sure they put you there!
www.raccooncreeksports.com
17413 Carys Bridge Road
Courtland, VA 23837
(757) 653-9629
Southampton Outfitters
Come stay in a comfortable lodge providing family style meals with over 5,000 acres of land for deer hunting, turkey hunting, bow hunting, gun hunting, and dove hunting. Southampton Outfitters' goal is to provide guests with enjoyable well-managed hunts with a high rate of success, while maintaining the highest degree of safety possible.
www.southamptonoutfitters.com
12583 Cedar View Rd
Drewryville, VA 23844
(804) 586-8077
Equestrian
Ballyshannon Equestrian Center
Horseback riding lessons, Girl Scout and Boy Scout patches and badges, boarding, clinics, 4-H Club, USPC, sales, etc.
30117 Camp Parkway
Courtland, VA 23837
(757) 562-5353
Graz'n Acres Therapeutic Riding Center
Graz'n Acres is a "Premier Accredited Therapeutic Riding Center" of NARHA for Therapeutic Riding and Driving; currently the only center in the state with an accredited driving for the disabled program. The center serves over 70 participants a year and has a core of 50 specially trained volunteers.
www.graznacres.org
14492 Ivor Road
Sedley, VA 23878-2306
(757) 653-9615
Hunters Hollow Riding Academy
Hunters Hollow offers riding lessons to a wide range of riders. Hunters Hollow believes a good rider must also be a good horseman. This requires an understanding of the horse and the connection built between you and your horse.
www.huntershollowra.com
2291 Southampton Parkway
Emporia, VA 23847
(757) 647-5765
River Birch Farm
River Birch Farm is a full service equestrian facility on 26 acres in Southampton County, near Franklin, Virginia. They offer boarding, horseback riding lessons, training, horse camps, VHSA associate rated horse shows, and more.
www.riverbirchfarm.com
30470 Camp Parkway
Courtland, VA 23837
(757) 569-7530
Tidewater Horse Trail
Tidewater Horse Trail offers the greatest equine trails in southeast Virginia with over 14.5 miles of trails.
www.tidewaterhorsetrail.com
37093 Warrique Road
Ivor, VA 23866
(757) 859-6346
Golf
Cypress Cove Country Club
Cypress Cove Country Club was established in 1921 and is located just outside of Franklin, Virginia. For golfers, the Cypress Cove Country Club sports an 18-hole, par 72 golf course with pro shop. Golfers can take a dip in the swimming pool, grab some afternoon tennis or relax in the elegant clubhouse.
30333 Country Club Road
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-6163
Bowling
Franklin Bowling Center
Franklin Bowling Center is a great place for Family Fun with 32 lanes of state-of-the-art bowling equipment for both league and recreational bowlers. Franklin Bowling Center includes Automatic Scoring, bumpers for little ones, an arcade, and the famous Rumors Restaurant & Lounge!
www.franklinbowl.com
1327 Armory Drive
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-0221
Tennis
YMCA
James L. Camp, Jr. YMCA
Franklin enjoys an incredible YMCA facility with two gymnasiums; indoor and outdoor pools; tennis, handball and racquetball courts; Nautilus center and Jacuzzi. The Franklin YMCA is second to none.
www.ymcashr.org
300 Crescent Drive
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-3491
Cypress Cove Country Club
Cypress Cove Country Club was established in 1921 and is located just outside of Franklin, Virginia. You can take a dip in the swimming pool, grab some afternoon tennis or relax in the elegant clubhouse.
30333 Country Club Road
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-6163
Franklin Municipal Park
The many recreational parks in Franklin offer facilities for football, skate boarding, soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, tennis, putt-putt golf, skating and swimming. Playgrounds and picnic tables abound. The city offers something for everyone with: Armory Drive Recreational Park, Bruce Street Park, College Drive Park, Hayden Sports Complex (multi-purpose fields for soccer, baseball and football), Memorial Park, High Street Park, and Paul D. Camp field (softball). The Franklin Skate Park is an outdoor facility for skate boards and in-line skates. With two half-pipes and a variety of fixed street ramps and other obstacles, the facility is open daily year round for youth and adults that enjoy the sport.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center is a community-based recreation center where children, adults, and senior citizens can enjoy arts & crafts, fitness, sports, life skills enrichment or family activities.
www.franklinva.com
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-2475
Swimming
YMCA
James L. Camp, Jr. YMCA
Franklin enjoys an incredible YMCA facility with two gymnasiums; indoor and outdoor pools; tennis, handball and racquetball courts; Nautilus center and Jacuzzi. The Franklin YMCA is second to none.
www.ymcashr.org
300 Crescent Drive
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-3491
Cypress Cove Country Club
Cypress Cove Country Club was established in 1921 and is located just outside of Franklin, Virginia. You can take a dip in the swimming pool, grab some afternoon tennis or relax in the elegant clubhouse.
30333 Country Club Road
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-6163
Franklin Municipal Park
The many recreational parks in Franklin offer facilities for football, skate boarding, soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, tennis, putt-putt golf, skating and swimming. Playgrounds and picnic tables abound. The city offers something for everyone with: Armory Drive Recreational Park, Bruce Street Park, College Drive Park, Hayden Sports Complex (multi-purpose fields for soccer, baseball and football), Memorial Park, High Street Park, and Paul D. Camp field (softball). The Franklin Skate Park is an outdoor facility for skate boards and in-line skates. With two half-pipes and a variety of fixed street ramps and other obstacles, the facility is open daily year round for youth and adults that enjoy the sport.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center is a community-based recreation center where children, adults, and senior citizens can enjoy arts & crafts, fitness, sports, life skills enrichment or family activities.
www.franklinva.com
Armory Drive Recreational Park
920 Armory Drive
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-2475
