Visit North Carolina - August 21, 2025

Be a river steward: Care for NC’s blueways this summer

Exploring Blueways: Paddling with Care while Navigating North Carolina’s Rivers

North Carolina has more than 40,000 miles of river, from steep creeks packed with whitewater in the mountains to the dark, tannic waters that meander towards the coast. Each of those rivers presents a unique opportunity for adventure as the temperatures rise in August, especially the state’s blueways, where boaters can follow designated paddling trails in their own craft, like canoes, kayaks or standup paddle boards. Choose the right Blueway, and you can splash through rapids or paddle from one swimming hole to the next. Planning ahead by reserving campsites and choosing trip dates and times that are less crowded, and creating a packing checklist that includes proper safety gear, like PFDs, will help reduce your impact on that same river while allowing you to enjoy the last days of summer.

Here are three blueways ready for exploration.

The Roanoke River State Trail, near the coast, offers a wilderness experience through a maze of old growth cypress where canoeists can pitch tents on dedicated camping platforms.
The French Broad River State Trail, which runs for 117 miles through the mountains of Western North Carolina, is packed with class III-IV whitewater in certain sections, for those looking for more adrenaline.
The Dan River State Trail has something for everyone as it meanders along the Virginia border through the Piedmont, offering a mix of exciting, class II rapids, calm stretches and tall bluffs during its 240-mile journey from the Blue Ridge Mountains to Kerr Lake.

A day, or week, on the river gives us a chance to slow down and enjoy nature at its own pace. We’re all less likely to whip out our phones to check social media if we have a canoe paddle in our hand, and it’s impossible to rush when we’re letting the flow of the current take us downstream. Beyond adventure and relaxation, these paddle trails also give us an opportunity to care for delicate ecosystems hidden just below the surface. For instance, the French Broad River is home to a thriving population of freshwater mussels that are on the rebound after a century-long absence, a sign that good stewardship practices are having a direct impact on the river’s health.

And because we all live downstream, how we treat the river in one location impacts communities and ecosystems all along its footprint, so paddling one of NC’s gorgeous blueways provides us with an opportunity to expand our positive impact beyond our immediate surroundings. Minding your trash and packing out everything you bring to the river not only keeps your campsite and boat launch clean, it helps preserve the river throughout its corridor. Practicing Outdoor NC Leave No Trace Principles while on the river gives you a chance to preserve the ecosystem for all.

Buckle up that PFD, and keep these stewardship tips in the boat with you as you paddle one of our great blueways this summer.

*If visiting coastal NC be aware of the current Tropical Weather Advisory.

Outdoor NC Leave No Trace Tips for Making the Most of Your River Trip

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

The better we plan, the less impact we’ll have on the river. Not only can we bring enough trash bags to haul everything we pack into the river corridor for our trip back out with us, we can add an extra bag so we can pick up trash found along the way. Reserving campsites ahead of time ensures we’re pitching our tents in an established site. Most importantly, packing the right gear, including safety equipment like PFDs and helmets, protects us from the elements and reduces the likelihood that we’ll need assistance on the river.

1. Be Considerate of Others.

It’s summer and we all want to get on the water, which means that placid river might be a bit crowded. One of the amazing aspects of NC’s rivers is that a variety of users can enjoy the ribbons of water in different ways, whether that’s cruising on a standup paddle board, fishing for trout, or floating in a tube. Help keep the peace by respecting other users. Keep the noise level low, and give other boaters and fishermen a wide birth to maintain their sense of solitude as much as possible. And it never hurts to give a little wave as you float by.

3. Keep Wildlife Wild.

Paddling gives us a wonderful opportunity to see wildlife, like the bald eagles that nest along the French Broad River and the imperiled logperch that swims the Dan River. Bring a telephoto lens or binoculars so wildlife can be observed from an appropriate distance and memories captured without disturbing the fauna. Planning to fish? Knowing the catch and release regulations for the specific waterway we’re exploring and having the proper gear, like barbless hooks, allows us to release the fish quickly and safely back into the water. Be sure to pack out any discarded fishing line as well, which can be lethal to fish and other wildlife.

Want to learn about more ways to explore and protect our state’s vast system of rivers?

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