Paddle the Roanoke River, North Carolina, USA
WHAT MAKES THIS AREA UNIQUE?
Guide your canoe through a maze of cypress trees (if you're alert you might spot a black bear, or the dented remains of a bootleg still), watch a beaver glide past as you eat dinner on a raised camping platform, and fall asleep to the persistently inquisitive hoot of the barred owl. From its narrow beginnings in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this paddle trail joins forces with the Staunton River for a time, tumbles out of placid John F. Kerr Reservoir in boiling 'Rapids of Death', then calmly wanders into Swan Bay on Albemarle Sound and submits its waters to the sea.
WHAT YOU’LL SEE: Deciduous and evergreen forest, coastal plain, wildflowers, cypress, Spanish moss, whitetail deer, black bear, beaver, river otter, owl, lizard, many species of waterfowl and aquatic life.
WATER FEATURES: Class I-III rapids depending on water levels.
BEST TIME TO PADDLE: May-October
ROUTE OPTIONS:
Y Day Trip
Y Weekend Trip
Y 4 to 7-Day Trip
Y 7 to 14-Day Trip
N Loop Trip
Y Shuttle Service Nearby
POTENTIAL HAZARDS: Dams; rapids; poison ivy; some areas of this water trail require advanced navigational skill.
WHERE TO FIND MAPS/CHARTS: https://roanokeriverpartners.com/trail-maps.aspx
PERMITS REQUIRED? Yes. Apply at https://roanokeriverpartners.com/rrp-reservations.aspx.
PETS ALLOWED? Yes, in most areas. Rules apply.
ROANOKE RIVER 4-DAY ITINERARY: 30.5 MILES TOTAL
Day 1
Drop your shuttle vehicle at Water Street Ramp, 200-298 W Water St, Plymouth, NC 27962. Limited parking.
Launch your boat at the Roanoke River Boardwalk & Boat Ramp, Skewarkee Trail, Williamston, NC 27892.
Paddle 6.5 miles to camp at Conine Camping Platform.
Day 2
Paddle 1.5 miles on the Roanoke River. Paddle 3 miles on Spellers Creek to Devils Gut. Paddle Devils Gut 4 miles to reach your campsite at Barred Owl Roost Camping Platform.
Day 3
Paddle 9 miles to camp at Cow Creek Camping Platform.
Day 4
Paddle 6.5 miles to take out at the Water Street Boat Ramp, 200-298 W Water St, Plymouth, NC 27962.
INFORMATION
Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge, (252) 794-3808
OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THIS AREA
Fishing, backpacking, hiking.