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

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Current weather conditions at Watauga River, North Carolina
WXPort

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...



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, 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

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