Nantahala River (NOC Wave)
| Stretch: | NOC Wave and Slalom Course |
| Difficulty: | Class II |
| Distance: | N/A |
| Flows: | 250-~1,000. (400 felt optimum, 300 felt rather boney). Current USGS gauge which you need to subtrack ~600. Endless River Adventures also posts the release schedule here |
| Gradient: | N/A |
| Put-in: | Nantahalla Outdoor Center near Bryson City |
| Take-out: | N/A |
| Shuttle: | N/A. |
| Season: | Year round except November |
| Written: | © 2014 |
The site of the 2013 World Champion Freestyle competition, and yet this site is known for not being "world class." Certainly that is ironic. Of course, I think most boaters aren't good enough to know the difference between world class or not... I know I am not. I can't do all the fancy tricks that the pros do... and while watching the worlds via live stream in 2013, they were certainly throwing all the tricks in there. But anyways, I found the hole to be a fun little spot with great eddy service. Even a rather poor playboater such as myself was able to cartwheel and loop here, which is more than I can do in many other holes!
At the same location as the wave, is a fun but mellow slalom course which forms an active community who apparently get together during the week for practice sessions and is the site of several summer competitions. The location is also the take-out for the Lower Nantahalla which is a long class II run if you are in the mood for that. I have yet to do it, so I can't provide much information. But AW and Boatingbeta has plenty.
For more details on the run, see the AW write-up...
Park and Play Directions: Google your way to "Nantahala Outdoor Center, West Highway 19, Bryson City, NC." From Knoxville, I come in via 129 to 74 from the south, from Ashville you would come via 74 from the north.
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