Mayo River

The Mayo River flows along the border of Virginia and North Carolina and was named after the English surveyor, William Mayo.  Together with Alexander Irvin, Mayo helped set the boundary between the two states.  His maps were used by English settlers in the 1730’s, and he was eventually tasked with laying out the city of Richmond, Virginia.

Established in 2003, Mayo River State Park is made up of a series of properties which follow the river from the Virginia state line south to the town of Madison, NC. There are currently five access points to launch a canoe or kayak.  The state is continuing to acquire property to create a contiguous corridor along both sides of the river and to further expand the park over time.

I visited the northern most section, parked at the Deshazo Mill trailhead, and hiked along a small tributary called Fall Creek. There is a waterfall near the trailhead, and the path eventually turns to the right and crosses the state line into Virginia.  There are a number of rock outcroppings along the shore and a lot of trees leaning out over the waters edge.