Where to paddle in North Carolina

One of my biggest problems when I first started paddling was figuring out WHERE to go to kayak that was not over my head, local, and lots of fun.

The first stop for this information should definitely be www.americanwhitewater.org. The site has an index of all rivers, categorized by state. You can see what class rapids each section has, what the current water level is, as well as directions for shuttling and any other notes and updates you may need.

That being said, there are a LOT of rivers in NC. What are the more popular ones, and what rivers are worth the drive? Let me run you through a basic list of good starting places for novices...
1) The Upper Haw: a tame class I-II run with a good bit of flat water. Great to calm your nerves about getting on running water. Good intro to some smaller rapids

2) The Middle Haw: One of the most fun runs in the area for novice paddlers! This run has some great features that will truly help you hone in your paddling techniques, without punishing you too much for mistakes. Very fun with not too much flat water to paddle through

3) The Lower Haw: More class III rapids. A shorter, more challenging run than the middle Haw. More limited water levels for this one. A great experienced novice run that is short with lots of good waves. Run it 2 or 3 times in a day for a full day of fun!

4) The Cape Fear: Good first river. Plenty of flat water and some fun class I-II rapids that rise in difficulty as you continue down the river. Long trip with a lot of flat water paddling, but great for a group of beginners to chat and practice skills.

5) The Tuckaseegee: A great beginner run in Western NC that has some good smaller rapids as well as a few bigger class II-III rapids (though they are easily avoidable if you don't feel up to it!). Good for groups of beginners to gain confidence and experience.

6) The Nantahala: Experienced novice to beginner level run. Non-stop fun with constant rapids all the way down. A great thrill. Water is released for a constant recreational run all summer, though the water is from the bottom of Fontana Lake so it is COOOLD all year. Some say that Nantahala is a Cherokee word for "Icy river of doom." Lots of fun with a challenging set of drops at the end called "Nantahala Falls." Plenty of safety around for when you eat it.

7) Falls Dam: When they release enough water from Falls Lake this can be a great little play spot in North Raleigh. Creates a nice wave to practice surfing and trying to learn some playboating tricks. Only downside is that it is not very consistent, and it smells like sulfur when they release.

And as I said, if you want to learn more about ALL the rivers NC has to offer, check out www.americanwhitewater.org. Also, the Carolina Canoe Club is a very valuable resource with a ton of great, helpful people. They organize trips across the state all the time. Be sure to hit their Week of Rivers in the summer where they camp for a week and paddle as many rivers in western North Carolina as they can!

Check back soon for some more updates including the DC rivers I ran this summer, as well as some tips on rolling!