Richmond Outside

Robious Landing Park is in northern Chesterfield County on the south bank of the James River. The 100-acre park adjacent to James River High School opened in 1997. The site includes parking for about 30 cars and offers picnic shelters, a playground, sand volleyball, horse shoe pits, fishing, nearly 3 miles of nature trails and access to the river. Skiing, wakeboarding, swimming and rowing regattas are some of the highlights on the water at Robious Landing. There is a concrete and wooden hand launch on site for canoes, kayaks and small boats. Keep your eyes open for wildlife, including whitetail deer, fox and a large variety of birds (including hawks, owls and bald eagles).

HISTORY
Robious Landing overlooks wooded banks of the James and Henrico County’s Tuckahoe Island. The park’s name is taken from “Robiou’s Crossing,” located approximately five miles east on the old Richmond & Danville Railroad (now Norfolk-Southern). Belgrade, once the home of Anthony Robiou, stands near the crossing.  The parkland was once part of a grant of 10,000 acres given in the early 1700s by British King William III to several French Huguenot refugees for settlement above the James River on the Piedmont frontier. The settlement was known as Manakintown.