North Carolina whitewater, Watauga River 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 playfulness of the water beats anything. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in North Carolina are often easier than in other states, so keep in mind that many runs in this state are very easy. This is not the only paddling section in this river system, there are others too. There are plenty of hotels here if you want to spend a night, but if you don’t have reservations you might     end up sleeping in your car. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling spots. This section of Watauga River in North Carolina is 4 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class II-III section of whitewater. This is a pretty decent length section, it's good length for a morning trip. The put-in location is a short drive from Boone, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. Briefly about the general area: Don't leave Watauga River without first going for a hike along the Iron   Mountain Trail. This is a popular place for folks from Sugar Grove, and Ward Hollow is certainly a delightful place to stop by. This river is so great. Laurel Creek Falls is an inspiring spot to go to while you're here, and there are good spots to look at along the Daniel Boone Scout Trail. A short journey to Watauga Falls is always worthwhile, and Ski Beech is a nice local ski area. Watauga River is a rather wet place regularly with a great deal of rainfall. The month with most of the rain is May; December is the month with the least moisture. The warmest time of the year at Watauga River comes with high temperatures in the 70's. Watauga River, US Route 321 Bridge to Route 1200 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 Watauga River.   Whitewater Near Watauga River: Watauga River, Watauga County, 2 miles away       Class IV-V - 4.9 miles long (Guys Ford Bridge to Watauga Lake) Watauga River, Watauga County, 2 miles away       Class II-III - 4 miles long (US Route 321 Bridge to Route 1200) Watauga, Watauga / Johnson County, 2 miles away       Class IV-V - 4.9 miles long (Guys Ford Bridge to Watauga Lake) Elk River, Avery County, 6 miles away       Class IV-V - 8.4 miles long (Route 1326 to Route 1305) Whitewater Outfitter - High Mountain Expeditions, Avery County, 7 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Elk River, Carter County, 8 miles away       Class II-III - 4.3 miles long (Route 2520 to US 321 bridge Close to Elk Mills) Elk River, Avery (NC)/Carter (TN) County, 8 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, 8 miles away       Class IV-V - 5 miles long (Big Falls to Poga Rd) 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, 9 miles away       Class II-IV - 2 miles long (SR 1557 to North Carolina 105)   Ski Areas Near Watauga River: Ski Beech, North Carolina , 4 miles away, 830 foot drop, 10 lifts, 15 runs Hawksnest, North Carolina , 7 miles away, 619 foot drop, 4 lifts, 12 runs Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 7 miles away, 1200 foot drop, 8 lifts, 20 runs Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 14 miles away, 365 foot drop, 5 lifts, 9 runs Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 48 miles away, 700 foot drop, 5 lifts, 20 runs Winterplace, West Virginia , 90 miles away, 603 foot drop, 9 lifts, 27 runs Cataloochee, North Carolina , 94 miles away, 740 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs   Marinas Near Watauga River: Pioneer Landing Campground, Butler , 7 miles away Pappy's Marina and Campground, Butler , 11 miles away Lakeshore Marina, Hampton , 17 miles away   Hotels Near Watauga River: Jackalope's Mountain Lodge, Banner Elk , 4 miles away Banner Haven Bed And Breakfast, Banner Elk , 5 miles away Best Western Mountain Lodge At Banner Elk, Banner Elk , 6 miles away Blue Ridge Village, Banner Elk , 7 miles away Highland Hills Cabins, Boone , 11 miles away   Campgrounds Near Watauga River: Grandfather Campground and Cabins, Banner Elk, 5 miles away Vanderpool Campgrounds, Vilas, 6 miles away Mountaineer Falls Shelter - Appalachian Trail, Elk Park, 9 miles away   Trails Near Watauga River: Daniel Boone Scout Trail, Caldwell , 9 miles away Iron Mountain Trail, Johnson , 13 miles away Little Pond Mountain Trail, Carter , 14 miles away Yancey Ridge Trail, Avery , 14 miles away Laurel Fork Trail, Carter , 15 miles away   Public Lands Near Watauga River: Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 61 miles away Roan Mountain State Park, Tennessee , 16 miles away Sycamore Shoals State Park, Tennessee , 20 miles away Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee , 27 miles away   Golf Courses Near Watauga River: Diamond Creek, Banner Elk , 5 miles away Wilderness Trail, Banner Elk , 5 miles away Hawksnest Ski Resort, Seven Devils , 7 miles away   Lakes Near Watauga River Wildcat Lake, Avery , 6 miles away Watauga Lake, Carter , 19 miles away