Tar River

The great thing about having a river run through town is that you needn’t go far for a paddle trip. In the case of Greenville and the Tar River, you only need invest about 15 minutes behind the wheel for a nice 4-hour trip. And when you’re done, you’re home.

This trip starts out rural, the high river banks adorned with oak, sycamore and river birch. Bald cypress with Spanish moss as well. As you pass under U.S. 264 Greenville’s presence becomes more evident. Look for an increase in motorboat traffic as well. A nice sandbar along the way makes a good stopping point for lunch.

As the Tar River nears the coast, be advised that paddling conditions are different. There’s likely to be more wind, likely blowing upstream, and the river begins to come under the influence of tides. Check the tide chart when planning your trip.

An 11-mile trip in all.

More info

Maps

Getting there from downtown Greenville
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Difficulty: Easy
Distance: Less than 20 minutes from downtown Greenville (and the takeout)
Time to complete: 3-4 hours
Address: 100 E. 1st St.
City: Greenville
State: N.C.
Zip: 27858
Latitude: 35.3609
Longitude: 77.1942