North Carolina whitewater - Watauga River, Watauga County

Watauga county, North Carolina Route 105 Bridge to US Route 321 Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS I-II     12 miles
  This stretch of Watauga River in North Carolina is 12 miles long and has been rated as a class I-II section by American Whitewater. If you're coming from Boone it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The wonderful North Carolina scenery and the water flowing gracefully down Watauga River will make you feel great. This river system is full of great paddling sections, the North Carolina Route 105 Bridge to US Route 321 Bridge section is just one of them. If
    you'll be staying in a hotel you're in luck, lodging is available very near the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. The campgrounds here at Watauga River are pretty good. You can enjoy this stretch more if you take your time, so go
ahead and pack your camp stove. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in North Carolina is often easier than elsewhere, so keep in mind that quite a few of the sections here are pretty easy. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with plenty of rivers for that.

Briefly about the general area:
The warmest time of the year at Watauga River comes with high temperatures in the 70's with nighttime lows in the 50's. Daytime highs during the wintertime are in the 40's, and night lows at Watauga River throughout the wintertime generally descend into
 
the 10's. Dutch Creek Falls is always fun to check out.
Watauga River mostly gets lots of precipitation; May is the month that gets the most rain while December is typically the driest month. A cool spot to pop by close to Watauga River is Hayes Bluff, and Lou Hollow is certainly a tremendous spot to have a look at.

Watauga River, North Carolina Route 105 Bridge to US Route 321 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: 36.194
Longitude: -81.74411

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.2485
Longitude: -81.83191

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Current weather conditions at Watauga River, North Carolina
WXPort

Local climate location: BANNER ELK 19 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Sugar Ski and Country Club, Sugar Mountain
4 miles away
Sugar Ski and Country Club is a year round resort that offers four seasons of enjoyment. Summers offer wonderfully cool, mountaintop accommodations for family vacations. Autumn is simply awe-inspiring...

La Quinta Inn & Suites Boone, Boone
5 miles away
Only a 1/2 mile from downtown and Appalachian State University, the brand new LaQuinta Inn & Suites Boone is a beautiful mountain lodge with a spectacular view of the Appalachian mountains. W...

Highland Hills Cabins - A Master Hosts Resort, Boone
6 miles away
Welcome- Take a stroll through our beautiful log cabins and our cozy log rooms. We have the widest variety of accommodations in the High Country. Feel free to contact us with any questions. We hope...



OTHER_INFO
  All North Carolina Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in North Carolina.
Books about whitewater paddling on Watauga River, North Carolina
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Watauga 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 Boone, North Carolina
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Boone, North Carolina, the metro area neareast to Watauga River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Watauga River.
 Whitewater Near Watauga River:
Watauga River, Watauga County , 4 miles away, Class II-IV - 2 miles long (SR 1557 to North Carolina 105)
Boone Fork, Watauga County , 5 miles away, Class III-IV(V+) - 4.5 miles long (Julian Price Park to Watauga)
Watauga River, Watauga County , 5 miles away, Class II-III - 4 miles long (US Route 321 Bridge to Route 1200)
Watauga River, Watauga County , 9 miles away, Class IV-V - 4.9 miles long (Guys Ford Bridge to Watauga Lake)
Watauga, Watauga / Johnson County , 9 miles away, Class IV-V - 4.9 miles long (Guys Ford Bridge to Watauga Lake)
Thunderhole Creek, Caldwell County , 10 miles away, Class III+ - 3.5 miles long (Globe Road to Upton)
Elk River, Avery (NC)/Carter (TN) County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 4.8 miles long (Route 130 to bridge above Sone Mtn Church Tennessee)
Elk River, Carter and Avery County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 5 miles long (Big Falls to Poga Rd)
Gragg Prong River, Avery County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 1.6 miles long (Roseboro to Lost Cove Creek)
Wilson Creek, Avery/Caldwell County , 11 miles away, Class IV - 5 miles long (Upper Wilson)
 Ski Areas Near Watauga River:
Hawksnest, North Carolina , 5 miles away, 619 vertical feet
Ski Beech, North Carolina , 6 miles away, 830 vertical feet
Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 7 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 9 miles away, 365 vertical feet
Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 52 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Winterplace, West Virginia , 90 miles away, 603 vertical feet
Cataloochee, North Carolina , 97 miles away, 740 vertical feet
Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 125 miles away, 225 vertical feet
Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 126 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Sky Valley, Georgia , 129 miles away, 210 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Watauga River:
Sugar Ski and Country Club, Sugar Mountain , 4 miles away
La Quinta Inn & Suites Boone, Boone , 5 miles away
Highland Hills Cabins - A Master Hosts Resort, Boone , 6 miles away
Beech Mountain Inns, Banner Elk , 6 miles away
Best Western Mountain Lodge At Banner Elk, Banner Elk , 6 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Watauga River:
Vanderpool Campgrounds, Vilas, 2 miles away
Flintlock Campground, Boone, 4 miles away
Grandfather Campground and Cabins, Banner Elk, 5 miles away
 Trails Near Watauga River:
Daniel Boone Scout Trail, Caldwell County , 6 miles away
Yancey Ridge Trail, Avery County , 11 miles away
Iron Mountain Trail, Johnson County , 18 miles away
Little Pond Mountain Trail, Carter County , 19 miles away
Laurel Fork Trail, Carter County , 20 miles away
 National Parks Near Watauga River:
Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 64 miles away
 Lakes Near Watauga River

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater