North Carolina whitewater - Watauga River, Watauga County Watauga county, Guys Ford Bridge to Watauga Lake section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS IV-V     4.9 miles   This stretch of Watauga River in Watauga County is 4.9 miles long and has been rated as a class IV-V section by American Whitewater. The scenic beauty of North Carolina and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. The put-in location is a short drive from Boone, as you can see on the road map further down. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Getting     your paddling muscles activated and spending some quality time in nature will have you coming back for more. This stretch is mid length, suitable for an afternoon trip. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, this is an area with plenty of rivers for that. If you've been out of state whitewater rafting and kayaking you might find the rivers here more forgiving, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that rivers here are not as hard as elsewhere. Briefly about the general area: Watauga River gets a common amount of precipitation; the month with most of the rain is July, and the driest month of the year is October. High temperatures at Watauga River through the summertime are in the 80's, and the overnight is somewhat cooler of course, regularly in the 60's. The winter brings highs   down to the 40's, and night lows at Watauga River throughout the winter ordinarily sink into the 20's. Watauga River is close to Keller Gap which is absolutely worth visiting. Watauga River, Guys Ford Bridge to Watauga Lake road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: IV-V Length: 4.9 miles Average Gradient: 103 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.26821 Longitude: -81.88473 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 36.29515 Longitude: -81.93334 Paddler input for Watauga River, North Carolina: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Watauga River, North Carolina Local climate location: BRISTOL WSO AP 22 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Beech Mountain Inns, Banner Elk 7 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 8 miles away The Best Western Mountain Lodge at Banner Elk offers comfort and convenience in a beautiful mountain setting. Nestled in the 'Heart of the High Country', we are within minutes of the area's best attra... La Quinta Inn & Suites Boone, Boone 13 miles away Only a 1/2 mile from downtown, the brand new La Quinta Inn & Suites Boone is a beautiful mountain lodge with a spectacular view of the Appalachian and Sugar Mountains. We even have some rooms with Fi...   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.       These outdoors activities are available near Watauga River.   Whitewater Near Watauga River: Watauga, Watauga / Johnson County , 0 miles away, Class IV-V - 4.9 miles long (Guys Ford Bridge to Watauga Lake) Watauga River, Watauga County , 4 miles away, Class II-III - 4 miles long (US Route 321 Bridge to Route 1200) Elk River, Avery (NC)/Carter (TN) County , 4 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 , 4 miles away, Class IV-V - 5 miles long (Big Falls to Poga Rd) Elk River, Carter County , 5 miles away, Class II-III - 4.3 miles long (Route 2520 to US 321 bridge Close to Elk Mills) Elk River, Avery County , 7 miles away, Class IV-V - 8.4 miles long (Route 1326 to Route 1305) Watauga River, Watauga County , 9 miles away, Class I-II - 12 miles long (North Carolina Route 105 Bridge to US Route 321 Bridge) Watauga River, Watauga County , 13 miles away, Class II-IV - 2 miles long (SR 1557 to North Carolina 105) Boone Fork, Watauga County , 14 miles away, Class III-IV(V+) - 4.5 miles long (Julian Price Park to Watauga) Doe River, Carter County , 14 miles away, Class II-III - 4.6 miles long (Crabtree to Blevins Bridge on Bear Gauge Road)   Ski Areas Near Watauga River: Ski Beech, North Carolina , 5 miles away, 830 vertical feet Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 9 miles away, 1200 vertical feet Hawksnest, North Carolina , 10 miles away, 619 vertical feet Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 18 miles away, 365 vertical feet Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 45 miles away, 700 vertical feet Cataloochee, North Carolina , 91 miles away, 740 vertical feet Winterplace, West Virginia , 91 miles away, 603 vertical feet Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 118 miles away, 600 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 120 miles away, 225 vertical feet Sky Valley, Georgia , 124 miles away, 210 vertical feet   Hotels Near Watauga River: Beech Mountain Inns, Banner Elk , 7 miles away Best Western Mountain Lodge At Banner Elk, Banner Elk , 8 miles away La Quinta Inn & Suites Boone, Boone , 13 miles away Super 8 Motel Boone NC, Boone , 16 miles away Red Carpet Inn Boone, Boone , 17 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Watauga River: Grandfather Campground and Cabins, Banner Elk, 7 miles away Vanderpool Campgrounds, Vilas, 10 miles away Flintlock Campground, Boone, 11 miles away   Trails Near Watauga River: Little Pond Mountain Trail, Carter County , 10 miles away Iron Mountain Trail, Johnson County , 11 miles away Laurel Fork Trail, Carter County , 12 miles away Laurel Fork Trail, Carter County , 12 miles away Daniel Boone Scout Trail, Caldwell County , 12 miles away   National Parks Near Watauga River: Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 59 miles away