Paddling

Find paddling gear, river guides, and stories from the water here. Kayaking, canoeing, rafting, and stand-up paddleboarding all have a home in the Blue Ridge, in both whitewater and flatwater settings. We’ve got your best river destinations and plans ready, from the Youghiogheny in Pennsylvania and West Virginia’s New River Gorge to the Green in North Carolina and the Chattooga of Georgia – plus everything in between.

How To: Date a Kayaker

Ashley Woodring14 Feb 19

Kayakers are a complex and interesting species, but there is hope. Here are the top 10 tips for dating a kayaker....

January 2014Paddling27 Comments

Adventure Racing Is Not Dead

Brent Russell07 Feb 19

The AR Scene Is Thriving, Especially in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Adventure racing is basically a timed scavenger hunt in the woods. Racers must find ...

BikingGo OutsideHikingHikingPaddlingRunning0 Comments

First Descent Paddler: Chasing Waterfalls

Phil Morgan06 Feb 19

Michael John Ferraro bags a first descent of Bearwallow Falls and becomes the fifth paddler to plunge down Looking Glass Falls. If you dig WHITEWATER, you be...

February 2019Go OutsideNewswirePaddlingPEOPLE0 Comments

Last Day to enter River Lotteries + coal-powered plants are leaking chemicals into the groundwater

Kim Dinan31 Jan 19

River lotteries for nine great white water rafting destinations close today Calling all river rats! It might be freezing cold outside today but that doesn’t me...

EnvironmentNewswirePaddlingRunning0 Comments

Unleashed: Josh and Zoey the Dog

Shannon McGowan23 Jan 19

When most people come home on a Friday after work, they'll grab a remote or maybe a drink with some pals. Josh Elder grabs his paddle and a dog leash that will...

BikingCampingClimbingGo OutsideHikingPaddlingPEOPLEVideo0 Comments

This is the Noli

Dan DeWitt14 Jan 19

Paddlers, filmmakers, and local citizens team up to nominate the Nolichucky as a Wild & Scenic River. That the Nolichucky River is both wild and scenic see...

EnvironmentGo OutsideJanuary 2019Paddling0 Comments

Q&A with Rashid Clifton

Adam Edwards28 Dec 18

One of the South’s best whitewater paddlers discusses being a black boater in the Blue Ridge It all started with a summer job right out of high school. Rashid ...

December 2018Paddling0 Comments

BIG DAY IN THE BLUE RIDGE: Two premier races on the same morning every fall

BRO Admin06 Dec 18

Two beloved races—the Green Race and Shut-In—attract the region's best paddlers and trail runners. The first Saturday in November is always one of the most exc...

December 2018PaddlingRunning0 Comments

A Day at the Green Race

Tom Flynn05 Nov 18

“Give up?” the woman asked as I headed back to my truck after walking past her a few minutes earlier. I was parked aside Green River Cove Road in Saluda, North ...

Paddling0 Comments

Pioneering Paddle: Experience the Daniel Boone Heritage Canoe Trail

Travis Hall09 Aug 18

Paddle the Daniel Boone Heritage Canoe Trail, a 22-mile stretch of the Yadkin River that retraces the life of the Piedmont pioneer....

Paddling0 Comments

Summer Road Trips: For The River Runners

Jess Daddio28 Jul 18

Location: Eastern Tennessee Distance: 123.6 miles Driver: Kirk Eddlemon Instructor, Ace Kayaking School Guidebook Author, Whitewater of the Southern Appalac...

Paddling0 Comments

Who Placed a Pipe Bomb in a Popular Swimming Hole?

Mary Zook23 Jul 18

An active pipe bomb was found in a popular swimming hole in North Carolina's Pigeon River. Authorities still do not know who placed the bomb or their motives....

Go OutsideHikingNewswirePaddling0 Comments

Dane Jackson’s Spring Cleaning

Justin Forrest03 Jul 18

Every year, East Tennessee native Dane Jackson returns home to organize a two-day river cleanup, promoting environmental responsibility and paddling. If you're...

Paddling0 Comments

Different Strokes: Bellyak founder Adam Masters picks his go-to gear

Graham Averill16 Jun 18

Adam Masters was born into kayaking. His father, Bill Masters, founded Perception Kayaks in the ‘70s and had a large hand in taking the sport mainstream thanks ...

Paddling0 Comments

The Pace of Paddling: Learning from the French Broad at All Speeds

Brooke Burrows10 May 18

After about three hours on the French Broad River, my arm muscles start to burn and I begin to regret my decision to try out the 20-mile stretch that the partic...

Paddling0 Comments

Magazine

February 2019: 8 Toughest Ultras in the South

January 2019: Best of the Blue Ridge

December 2018: Winter Adventures – On and Off the Slopes

Paddling

How To: Date a Kayaker

Adventure Racing Is Not Dead

First Descent Paddler: Chasing Waterfalls

Last Day to enter River Lotteries + coal-powered plants are leaking chemicals into the groundwater

Unleashed: Josh and Zoey the Dog

This is the Noli

Q&A with Rashid Clifton

BIG DAY IN THE BLUE RIDGE: Two premier races on the same morning every fall

A Day at the Green Race

Pioneering Paddle: Experience the Daniel Boone Heritage Canoe Trail

Summer Road Trips: For The River Runners

Who Placed a Pipe Bomb in a Popular Swimming Hole?

Dane Jackson’s Spring Cleaning

Different Strokes: Bellyak founder Adam Masters picks his go-to gear

The Pace of Paddling: Learning from the French Broad at All Speeds