North Carolina whitewater, Catawba River McDowell Burke county, Route 1234 Bridge to US Route 221 Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-II     12 miles   The scenic beauty of McDowell/Burke County and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water attract people from near and far. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in North Carolina are easier than the national norm, so better not forget that lots of rivers in this state are good for beginners. The campgrounds here at Catawba River are pretty good. Getting your paddling muscles activated and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great reasons     to come. If you have the time you can make this a two day trip, so pack your camp stove. There are so many stretches to paddle in this river system, the Route 1234 Bridge to US Route 221 Bridge stretch is just one of many. This stretch of Catawba River is 12 miles long and is a class I-II section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. There are nice comfortable hotels here, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The put-in is not too far from Forest City, as you can see on the road map further down. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way there are lots of good places   for that around here. The river winds through the Blue Ridge Mountains and you get great scenery. Briefly about the general area: People from Marion love to come to Catawba River, and when you're here it's always fun to stop at Mount Mitchell State Park. You just can't picture the amount of outdoors fun stuff the Blue Ridge Mountains has to offer. If the weather is good here at Catawba River, you can go for a hike along the Bald Mountain Trail. Lake James State Park is both delightful and picturesque, and it's near Catawba River. A good deal of rain falls at 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.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Catawba River.   Whitewater Near Catawba River: Catawba River, McDowell/Burke County, 4 miles away       Class I-II - 12 miles long (Route 1234 Bridge to US Route 221 Bridge) Curtis Creek, McDowell County, 7 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, 11 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) Broad River, Rutherford County, 16 miles away       Class I-II - 16.8 miles long (Route 1181 to North Carolina Route 1004) Rocky Broad River, Henderson/Buncombe County, 16 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, 18 miles away       Class IV-V+ - 2.5 miles long (Linville) Rocky Broad River, Henderson/Rutherford County, 19 miles away       Class IV-V - 3.5 miles long (Along Route 64/74 to Lake Lure at Chimney Rock) Linville River, Burke County, 19 miles away       Class IV-V+ - 16.4 miles long (Linville Falls to Lake James)   Ski Areas Near Catawba River: Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 30 miles away, 1200 foot drop, 8 lifts, 20 runs Hawksnest, North Carolina , 32 miles away, 619 foot drop, 4 lifts, 12 runs Ski Beech, North Carolina , 33 miles away, 830 foot drop, 10 lifts, 15 runs Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 33 miles away, 700 foot drop, 5 lifts, 20 runs Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 41 miles away, 365 foot drop, 5 lifts, 9 runs Cataloochee, North Carolina , 70 miles away, 740 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 92 miles away, 225 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Sky Valley, Georgia , 96 miles away, 210 foot drop, 2 lifts, 5 runs   Hotels Near Catawba River: Comfort Inn Marion, Marion , 4 miles away Americas Best Value Inn Marion, Marion , 7 miles away Super 8 Marion NC, Marion , 7 miles away Hampton Inn Marion, Marion , 9 miles away Springmaid Mountain, Spruce Pine , 15 miles away   Campgrounds 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 , 7 miles away   Public Lands Near Catawba River: Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 33 miles away Lake James State Park, North Carolina , 13 miles away Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina , 13 miles away Roan Mountain State Park, Tennessee , 30 miles away   Golf Courses Near Catawba River: Old Fort Golf Course, Old Fort , 5 miles away Grassy Creek Golf Course, Spruce Pine , 11 miles away Grassy Creek Golf & Country Club, Spruce Pine , 12 miles away   Lakes Near Catawba River Bald Mountain Lake, Rutherford , 13 miles away Lake Lure, Rutherford , 15 miles away Lake Tomahawk, Buncombe , 17 miles away