Paddle The Rocky Broad River: Western North Carolina’s Rocky Broad is a river that gets up and goes, making up in spirited decent for what it lacks in length. An awesome challenge for all levels of whitewater kayaking. The Rocky Broad River water is clean with the bottom and rapids scoured clean by the floods. The run is composed of continuous boulder drops and runs thru downtown Chimney Rock, NC. While this is a challenging whitewater river that doesn’t leave much time for taking in the views, the river does offer some great perspectives of the magnificent gorge walls towering above the roadside whitewater park.
Below the lake, the Broad River is a fast moving river that is great for tubing, canoeing and kayaking and makes for a really fun day on the water when the water is being released from the lake above. The Rutherford Outdoor Coalition has partnered with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to create the Broad River Paddle Trail. Plans are to have 11 access points on more than 40 miles of river between Lake Lure and the Cleveland County line.
For more information on paddling The Rocky Broad River near Lake Lure, visit the Rutherford Outdoor Coalition’s guide to Rocky Broad River paddling.
We recommend paddling Section 4 of the Rocky Broad River, which utilizes the new public access points.
For more info, visit: http://www.rutherfordoutdoor.org/broad-river-paddle-trail-sections/section-5-grays-rd-to-coxe-rd-section
PUT-IN: Grays Road River Access (520 Grays Road, Rutherfordton, NC 28139) Rutherford County’s first official public access! Gravel parking, concrete steps to the river with rails to ride boat down and an articulating dock. Very nice! Managed by NC Wildlife Resources.
TAKE-OUT: Coxe Road River Access (2254 Coxe Road, Rutherfordton, NC 28139). Underneath US 74 bridge. New access is open! Same design as Grays Rd. with parking, concrete steps, dock.
