North Carolina whitewater, Yadkin River Caldwell Wilkes county, Route 268 Bridge to Route 1137 section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-II     19.9 miles   One of many nice rivers in the area Says Anonymous The put-in location is a reasonable drive from Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The nature scenery of North Carolina and the playfulness of the water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. The beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains scenery is an added bonus. Great exercise and a chance to spend     some time outdoors are sure to keep you coming back for more. If you'll be staying in a hotel you're in luck, lodging is available very near the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. The Route 268 Bridge to Route 1137 section of Yadkin River is 19.9 miles long and it is classified as a class I-II section by American Whitewater. If you have the time you can make this a two day trip, so pack your sleeping bag. There are some good stretches to paddle in this river system, the Route 268 Bridge to Route 1137 stretch is one of them. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, this area has a large   number of paddling places. There's camping available near Yadkin River. The average North Carolina whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be easier to run than those in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that quite a few of the sections in this state are pretty easy. Briefly about the general area: Skiing at Appalachian Mountain is one of those things you just have to do, and there are plenty of folks from Lenoir here at Yadkin River. But wait, there's more enjoyable things to do in the Blue Ridge Mountains. You might want to pay a visit to Happy Valley since you're here at Yadkin River. Yadkin River, Route 268 Bridge to Route 1137 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 Yadkin River.   Whitewater Near Yadkin River: Elk Creek, Wilkes County, 6 miles away       Class I-II - 8.4 miles long (Route 1162 to Route 268 Bridge) Thunderhole Creek, Caldwell County, 14 miles away       Class III+ - 3.5 miles long (Globe Road to Upton) Whitewater Outfitter - Wahoo's Whitewater Rafting, Watauga County, 14 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Johns River, Burke/Caldwell County, 15 miles away       Class I-II - 6.5 miles long (Route 1328 to Route 1438) Whitewater Outfitter - High Mountain Expeditions, Watauga County, 16 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Whitewater Outfitter - River & Earth Adventures, Watauga County, 16 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Wilson Creek, Caldwell County, 16 miles away       Class I-II(III) - 4 miles long (Below Brown Mountain Beach to Johns River) Boone Fork, Watauga County, 17 miles away       Class III-IV(V+) - 4.5 miles long (Julian Price Park to Watauga) Wilson Creek, Caldwell County, 17 miles away       Class III-IV+(V) - 1.9 miles long (National Forest sign to parking area above Brown MtNorth Beach) Gragg Prong River, Avery County, 18 miles away       Class IV-V - 1.6 miles long (Roseboro to Lost Cove Creek)   Ski Areas Near Yadkin River: Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 14 miles away, 365 foot drop, 5 lifts, 9 runs Hawksnest, North Carolina , 23 miles away, 619 foot drop, 4 lifts, 12 runs Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 25 miles away, 1200 foot drop, 8 lifts, 20 runs Ski Beech, North Carolina , 27 miles away, 830 foot drop, 10 lifts, 15 runs Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 69 miles away, 700 foot drop, 5 lifts, 20 runs Winterplace, West Virginia , 93 miles away, 603 foot drop, 9 lifts, 27 runs   Marinas Near Yadkin River: R & N Marina, Hickory , 17 miles away Lake Hickory Marina, Hickory , 17 miles away Mimosa Boat Landing, Morganton , 19 miles away   Hotels Near Yadkin River: Comfort Inn Lenoir, Lenoir , 5 miles away Days Inn Lenoir, Lenoir , 6 miles away Red Carpet Inn Lenoir, Lenoir , 6 miles away Green Park Inn Historic Hotels Of America, Blowing Rock , 12 miles away Holiday Inn Express BLOWING ROCK SOUTH, Blowing Rock , 13 miles away   Campgrounds Near Yadkin River: Green Mountain Park Resort, Lenoir, 3 miles away Boone Fork, Patterson, 7 miles away Rider's Roost, Ferguson, 8 miles away   Trails Near Yadkin River: Yancey Ridge Trail, Avery , 18 miles away   Public Lands Near Yadkin River: Mount Jefferson State Park, North Carolina , 23 miles away New River State Park, North Carolina , 24 miles away South Mountain State Park, North Carolina , 24 miles away   Golf Courses Near Yadkin River: Cedar Rock Country Club, Lenoir , 5 miles away Lenoir Golf Club, Lenoir , 6 miles away Country Acres Golf Course, Lenoir , 11 miles away   Lakes Near Yadkin River Trout Lake, Watauga , 8 miles away Rhodhiss Lake, Caldwell , 14 miles away Fleetwood Falls Lake, Ashe , 16 miles away