Uwharrie River, Section 1

A small river at this point with high banks on either side you get your first action less than a half mile in at a boulder dam where a two-foot drop creates a Class I+-II rapid. Class I rapids follow. Just upstream of the take-out is a six-foot dam requiring portage; just below the dam is a Class II rapid.

The river is bound along the way with a good dose of forest, a bit of development in the form of a golf course and signs of the region’s past, including that dam and a mill building.

As is the case with most whitewater found in the Piedmont, Section 1 can only be run after a rain. And also as is the case with most whitewater found in the Piedmont, those opportunities are well worth the wait.

For a complete description of this stretch, including hazards, consult “Paddling Eastern North Carolina” (see below).

More info, including maps and access: “Paddling Eastern North Carolina,” Paul Ferguson (2007, Pocosin Press).

Getting there from downtown Charlotte

Photo: Land Trust North Carolina landtrustnc.org
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Rating: Class I-II
Length: 10.1 miles
Drive: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Put-in: NC 49 bridge
Latitude: 35.3861
Longitude: 79.5810
Take-out: High Pine Church Road bridge
Latitude: 35.3392
Longitude: 79.5851
Time to complete: 3-5 hours
Gauge: USGS Abbotts Creek at Lexington and Little River near Star
Minimum flow: 50 cfs
City: Asheboro
State: NC