North Carolina
Nantahala Gorge: Launch to NOC
About this paddle route
More people learn to paddle whitewater on the Nantahala than on any other river in the country. Eight miles of continuous class II with one class III at the bottom, on a dam-release flow that runs reliably all season. The water comes off the bottom of Fontana’s Nantahala reservoir and stays around 50F all summer, which is the detail every first-timer underestimates.
America's introduction to whitewater: eight cold, continuous miles down the gorge, finishing over Nantahala Falls at the Outdoor Center.
Highlights
What earns the trip
- Nantahala Falls, the class III drop directly in front of the Outdoor Center
- Reliable dam-release flow through the whole season
- Continuous class II makes it the standard teaching river in the Southeast
- The gorge road runs alongside, so shuttles are simple
Stops
- 1
Nantahala River Launch Site
The put-in below the powerhouse.
- 2
Nantahala Outdoor Center (take-out)
Take-out immediately below Nantahala Falls.
When to go
Best time to go
Late spring through early fall, on the scheduled release calendar.
Planner estimate for the mapped line: 31 min
Before you go
Know before you go
- The water is roughly 50F year round. A wetsuit or drysuit is appropriate even in August.
- Check the release schedule. Without generation the gorge is too low to run.
- Nantahala Falls is scoutable from the road. Look at it before you launch.
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