Yadkin River in North Carolina

Trip Overview

We departed from the York Hill launch site and paddled upstream 1.6 miles. While the Yadkin tends to be a muddy river, the scenery along the way is striking. Dense foliage is along both banks, with plenty of side waters to explore. Fish, cranes, and ducks accompanied us along the way.

There are plenty of shady spots to stop along the way, and very little boat traffic.

After our upstream paddle, we eased back with the current, past the York Hill launch, and explored the bridges several hundred yards downstream of the launch site, before returning to the launch site.

I rated this paddle "moderate" because the upstream leg required some effort, although I am a novice kayaker and handled it well. Our group of 10 was a mix of novice and experienced kayakers, with a mix of short/long, SOT and sit-in boats. Everyone handled the trip well and enjoyed it.

Accommodations:

Plenty of shaded parking in the gravel lot, no restrooms.

Fees:

No fees or permits are required.

Directions:

York Hill launch
From I-85 southbound, take exit 84. At the end of the ramp go straight across SR 150 onto Wilcox Way. After about 100 yards, take the first right onto Sowers Road, and then take an immediate left. York Hill launch is indicated by a large blue sign on the right hand side about 1/2 mile down the road.

Resources:

We used Google Maps to look at the river path before we departed