Splash Mountains: Watersports abound in the High Country By Frank Ruggiero
Price Lake / Photo by Harold Blackwood, courtesy of NPS.gov
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n the Western North Carolina High Country, time doesn’t just fly when you’re having fun; it flows. Since 1988, Banner Elk’s High Mountain Expeditions has been organizing, outfitting and leading adventures on practically any local body of water that’ll have them, from white-knuckle whitewater to tranquil tubing and most boats in between. “People go to the mountains for a variety of reasons,” said Bill Leonard, owner of High Mountain Expeditions. “One is to find some kind of recreation they can’t necessarily do in their hometown, like tubing, canoeing or whitewater rafting. We’re just a huge destination with an awful lot to do.” Following suit—or wetsuit, in this case—High Mountain has an awful lot of offerings, such as whitewater rafting on the Nolichucky River, canoeing, kayaking or tubing on the New River, and rafting on the Watauga River, for starters. “The Nolichucky is more aggressive, featuring Class III and IV rapids, while the Watauga River is more family-oriented, more so focused on fun and having a good time than serious whitewater,” Leonard said. “On the other hand, tubing is just a nice, lazy time on the river, enjoying the scenery and chilling out. So, it really just depends on what you want to do—floating, a little rafting with the family, or something a little more high-energy.” For the latter, High Mountain offers one- to two-day trips on the Nolichucky, as well as inflatable kayaking on Wilson Creek. Leonard noted that High Moun-
74 — Summer 2017 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
Photo courtesy of High Mountain Expeditions
tain’s Nolichucky trips run exclusively through national forestland, starting in Pisgah and ending up in Cherokee. “There aren’t many places where you can go 11 miles on the river without seeing a single manmade structure out there,” he said. “And it’s a deep, narrow gorge, so the scenery is wonderful, rich with wildlife and foliage.” Conversely, the Watauga River offers more family-friendly options, and if that’s not fun enough, Leonard and company are more than happy to up the ante. “We’ll even put water guns and buckets in the boats, so guests can have water fights and splash around,” he said. “It’s more about having a good time out there.” Rivers Run Through It Most visitors to the High Country know that watersports are an option. It’s the volume of those options, however, that are surprising. “I think they’re surprised to find out that we have several major rivers running right through the Boone area,” said Wright Tilley, director of the Boone Tourism Development Authority. If people have their own tubes, canoes or kayaks, the area offers numerous free access points, such as Green Valley Community Park near Boone, which is situated along the South Fork of the New River. There, people can launch their canoes or tubes and float to the nearby community of Todd, Tilley said. “When people ask about watersports,
Watauga Lake
a lot of them have heard about the New River and have always wanted to visit, with it actually being the oldest river in the United States,” said Candice Cook, executive director of the High Country Host, a regional visitor center and tourism marketing organization. “Also, we’ve found that a lot of people are interested in watersports not necessarily because of the water, but because of the birding they can do from the water.” Those looking for water adjacent activities, or even just getting their feet wet with the kids, might consider a visit to Valle Crucis Community Park in Valle Crucis, which offers access to some lazy stretches of the Watauga River. “That’s a great resource, too, for folks who just want to splash around, fish and play,” Tilley added. “And then there are the lakes, some of which you can find off the Blue Ridge Parkway, like Price Lake.” The 47-acre Price Lake is one of the most popular features of Julian Price Memorial Park (milepost 296.7 on the Blue Ridge Parkway) and even offers canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals. Meanwhile, the Price Park Picnic Area boasts a bevy of shallow areas courtesy of Boone Fork Creek, a tributary of the Watauga River, in which visitors can splash, play and fish (preferably before or after the splashing and playing). Cook also directs visitors to Banner Elk, specifically the wading pools at TateEvans Park downtown, as well as Wildcat Lake. Spanning 13 acres, Wildcat Lake
