North Carolina whitewater - Catawba River, Blue Ridge Mountains, McDowell/Burke County McDowell/Burke county, Route 1234 Bridge to US Route 221 Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-II     12 miles   This section of Catawba River in North Carolina is 12 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class I-II section. The put-in is not too far from Forest City, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. Getting some good exercise and just hanging out with mother nature will make you glad you came. Whitewater paddling here in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a great experience. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this area has a large number of paddling     rivers. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The natural beauty of McDowell/Burke County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream make the trip here worthwhile. The average North Carolina whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be easier to run than those in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that quite a few of the sections here are pretty easy. This stretch is long enough for an overnight trip if you take your time, so pack your camping stuff. This river system is full of great paddling sections, the Route 1234 Bridge to US Route 221 Bridge section is just one of them. Briefly about the general area: Catawba River is a wet place that gets lots of rain; through the month of March   you get the most rain around here while December is the month with the least amount of precipitation. At Catawba River during the months of summer highs are in the 80's. Throughout the moonlight hours it's frequently in the 50's. All through the winter highs are in the 40's; night lows in the 10's for Catawba River. Catawba River, Route 1234 Bridge to US Route 221 Bridge road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: I-II Length: 12 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.63669 Longitude: -82.1439 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.7065 Longitude: -82.03351 Paddler input for Catawba River, North Carolina: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Catawba River, Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina Local climate location: CELO 9 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Comfort Inn Marion, Marion 8 miles away Indoor heated pool with sun deck and hot tub. Free deluxe continental breakfast. Clean, well appointed rooms with coffee makers, irons and boards, Microwave, refrigerator and other amenities for your ... Marion Days Inn, Marion 11 miles away * Hotel is conveniently located at I-40 Exit 85 and Hwy 221 * Hotel is just minutes from downtown Marion and many area attractions * Blue Ridge Parkway 25 mi, Chimney Rock 25 mi, Gold & Gem Mining 3 m... Marion Super 8 Motel, Marion 11 miles away * Free High-speed Internet * Super Start Breakfast * Commercial Rates * Full service and fast food restaurants nearby * 25 Inch color TV with cable/HBO/ESPN * Free local phone calls * Pe...   Blue Ridge Mountains Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge Mountains Outdoors Info Complete outdoors info for the Blue Ridge Mountains. All North Carolina Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in North Carolina. Books about whitewater paddling on Catawba River, North Carolina List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Catawba River, North Carolina. Find a whitewater outfitter in North Carolina Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Forest City, North Carolina Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Forest City, North Carolina, the metro area neareast to Catawba River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Catawba River.   Whitewater Near Catawba River: Curtis Creek, McDowell County , 6 miles away, Class IV+ - 7 miles long (Close to Old Fort) Catawba River - North Fork, McDowell County , 8 miles away, Class II-III - 5.6 miles long (Route 1559 to Route 1552 Bridge) Toe River - South, Avery/ Mitchell/ Yancey County , 13 miles away, Class I-II - 22.5 miles long (Carolina Hemlocks Camp to Route 1131) Broad River, Rutherford County , 15 miles away, Class I-II - 7.4 miles long (Lake Lure Dam to Route 1181) Linville River, Burke County , 17 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 16.4 miles long (Linville Falls to Lake James) Rocky Broad River, Henderson/Buncombe County , 17 miles away, Class IV-V - 3.6 miles long (Bridge at Flat Creek Road to Bridge at US Route 64) Catawba River - North Fork, Burke County , 17 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 2.5 miles long (Linville) Rocky Broad River, Henderson/Rutherford County , 18 miles away, Class IV-V - 3.5 miles long (Along Route 64/74 to Lake Lure at Chimney Rock) North Toe River, Avery County , 18 miles away, Class II - 10 miles long (Plumtree to Bush Rd/Rt. 19E) Green River, Polk County , 20 miles away, Class I-II - 17.2 miles long (North Carolina Route 9 below Lake Adger Dam to North Carolina Route 1005)   Ski Areas Near Catawba River: Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 30 miles away, 1200 vertical feet Hawksnest, North Carolina , 32 miles away, 619 vertical feet Ski Beech, North Carolina , 33 miles away, 830 vertical feet Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 33 miles away, 700 vertical feet Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 41 miles away, 365 vertical feet Cataloochee, North Carolina , 70 miles away, 740 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 92 miles away, 225 vertical feet Sky Valley, Georgia , 96 miles away, 210 vertical feet Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 102 miles away, 600 vertical feet Winterplace, West Virginia , 127 miles away, 603 vertical feet   Hotels Near Catawba River: Comfort Inn Marion, Marion , 8 miles away Marion Days Inn, Marion , 11 miles away Marion Super 8 Motel, Marion , 11 miles away Fox Run Resort (Vri), Lake Lure , 13 miles away Fairfield Mountains Resort, Lake Lure , 13 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Catawba River: Tom Johnson Camping Center Rally Park, Marion, 2 miles away Buck Creek Campgrounds, Marion, 3 miles away Triple C Campground, Marion, 4 miles away   Trails Near Catawba River: Bald Mountain Trail, McDowell County , 7 miles away   National Parks Near Catawba River: Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 33 miles away   Golf Courses Near Catawba River: Old Fort Golf Course, Old Fort , 5 miles away   Lakes Near Catawba River