North Carolina whitewater - Watauga River, Watauga County

Watauga county, US Route 321 Bridge to Route 1200 section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II-III     4 miles
  The natural beauty of North Carolina and the cool fresh water will make you feel great. The put-in location is a short drive from Boone, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The US Route 321 Bridge to Route 1200 stretch of Watauga River in North Carolina is 4 miles long and is a class II-III section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. If you'll be staying in a hotel you're in luck, lodging is available very near the river, and if you make
    reservations in advance you're all set. Great exercise and just being out on the river for a while are great attractions for lots of people. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are lots of good rivers for that around here. This is not the only paddling stretch
in this river system, there are others too. This stretch is mid length, good for a one day paddling trip. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in North Carolina tend to be more forgiving than the national average, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that a lot of the rivers here are suitable for beginners.

Briefly about the general area:
This is such a fun river. During the warm months, highs frequently are in the 70's at Watauga River while overnight lows are frequently in the 50's. Through the winter highs are regularly in the 40's; overnight
 
lows at Watauga River through the wintertime regularly sink into the 10's.
Watauga Falls is a good local attraction, and Laurel Creek Falls is always fun to check out. A good deal of rain falls at Watauga River; the month with most of the rain is May, and the driest month is December. Ward Hollow is a great site to explore nearby; Ski Beech is a great local ski area.

Watauga River, US Route 321 Bridge to Route 1200 road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II-III
Length: 4 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.25199
Longitude: -81.83301

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.26789
Longitude: -81.88501

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Current weather conditions at Watauga River, North Carolina
WXPort

Local climate location: BANNER ELK 25 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Archers Mountain Inn and Luxury Cabins, Banner Elk
4 miles away
Archers Inn features fifteen hotel rooms with a fantastic restaurant and bar. Our hotel and cabins are located on the side of Beech Mountain in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. We ...

Beech Mountain Inns, Banner Elk
5 miles away
Nothing tops the Beech Mountain Inns in Eastern Americas Highest Town with an Elevation of 5,506 feet. The Beech Alpen Inn compliments its Mountain setting with the old world charm of the rustic Inns ...

Best Western Mountain Lodge At Banner Elk, Banner Elk
6 miles away
Experience outstanding customer service and convenient access to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lee's McRae College and more at this pet-friendly Banner Elk, North Carolina hotel. Welcome to the Best Wes...



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 IV-V - 4.9 miles long (Guys Ford Bridge to Watauga Lake)
Watauga, Watauga / Johnson County , 4 miles away, Class IV-V - 4.9 miles long (Guys Ford Bridge to Watauga Lake)
Watauga River, Watauga County , 5 miles away, Class I-II - 12 miles long (North Carolina Route 105 Bridge to US Route 321 Bridge)
Elk River, Avery (NC)/Carter (TN) County , 6 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 , 6 miles away, Class IV-V - 5 miles long (Big Falls to Poga Rd)
Elk River, Avery County , 8 miles away, Class IV-V - 8.4 miles long (Route 1326 to Route 1305)
Elk River, Carter County , 9 miles away, Class II-III - 4.3 miles long (Route 2520 to US 321 bridge Close to Elk Mills)
Watauga River, Watauga County , 9 miles away, Class II-IV - 2 miles long (SR 1557 to North Carolina 105)
Boone Fork, Watauga County , 10 miles away, Class III-IV(V+) - 4.5 miles long (Julian Price Park to Watauga)
Gragg Prong River, Avery County , 14 miles away, Class IV-V - 1.6 miles long (Roseboro to Lost Cove Creek)
 Ski Areas Near Watauga River:
Ski Beech, North Carolina , 4 miles away, 830 vertical feet
Hawksnest, North Carolina , 7 miles away, 619 vertical feet
Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 7 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 14 miles away, 365 vertical feet
Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 48 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Winterplace, West Virginia , 90 miles away, 603 vertical feet
Cataloochee, North Carolina , 94 miles away, 740 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Watauga River:
Archers Mountain Inn and Luxury Cabins, Banner Elk , 4 miles away
Beech Mountain Inns, Banner Elk , 5 miles away
Best Western Mountain Lodge At Banner Elk, Banner Elk , 6 miles away
Sugar Ski and Country Club, Sugar Mountain , 9 miles away
La Quinta Inn AND Suites Boone, Boone , 10 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Watauga River:
Grandfather Campground and Cabins, Banner Elk, 5 miles away
Vanderpool Campgrounds, Vilas, 6 miles away
Flintlock Campground, Boone, 8 miles away
 Trails Near Watauga River:
Daniel Boone Scout Trail, Caldwell County , 9 miles away
Iron Mountain Trail, Johnson County , 13 miles away
Little Pond Mountain Trail, Carter County , 14 miles away
Yancey Ridge Trail, Avery County , 14 miles away
Laurel Fork Trail, Carter County , 15 miles away
 National Parks Near Watauga River:
Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 61 miles away

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