Catawba Riverkeeper | Protecting Our Waters

Private Paddling Trips

Guided Private Paddles

One River, Two Towns Tour

Join us for our One River, Two Towns Tour! This guided private paddle is a 2-hour program from start to finish that will include 1-1.5 hours spent on the water. Your group will meet at The River Room (102 Main Street, Suite 100, McAdenville, NC) and paddle the South Fork of the Catawba after launching from the McAdenville Greenway and Blueway Launch. An easy, 1.5 mile paddle through gentle flowing water will include kayaking and water safety basics, as well as a chance to learn more about the South Fork, the Catawba River basin, and mission activities of Catawba Riverkeeper. The group will take-out at Centennial Launch in Cramerton, NC.

More Details:

Paddle from McAdenville Greenway & Blueway Launch to Centennial Launch (Cramerton)
Up to 15 single-person kayaks Monday-Friday, or up to 12 single-person kayaks Saturday-Sunday
Includes paddles and life vests

Cost:

Includes shuttle back to launch
$25/boat (non-profit/social partners)
$35/boat (corporate guests)

Optional Add-ons:

Private Social at The River Room - Inquire for rental fee

South Fork Rapids Tour

If your group is looking for a little more of a challenge, then check out our South Fork Rapids Tour! This 3-hour-long program will include 2-2.5 hours on the water and will give paddlers the chance to experience small Class I to II rapids. Though still welcoming for adventurous beginners, this intermediate tour is 2.5 miles long and will teach participants about whitewater kayaking and water safety basics, about the South Fork and the greater Catawba River basin, and about current mission activities of Catawba Riverkeeper. The South Fork Rapids Tour will meet at The Boathouse (115 Willow Drive, McAdenville, NC), take a shuttle to the Spencer Mountain Launch in Lowell, NC, and then take-out and the Pharr Family Launch in McAdenville, NC.

More Details:

Paddle from Spencer Mountain Launch to Pharr Family Launch (McAdenville)
Up to 14 single-person kayaks
Includes paddles, life vests, and helmets (to wear through rapids)

Cost:

Includes shuttle to launch
$30/boat (non-profit/social partners)
$40/boat (corporate)

Optional Add-ons:

Guided hike on the Pharr Family Trail – Additional $5 per person
Private Social at The Boathouse (canned beer only) - Inquire for rental fee

Self-Guided Private Paddles

South Fork Splash Paddle

The self-guided South Fork Splash Paddle is a 1.5-hour program with 1 hour spent on the water. Paddlers will meet at The Boathouse (115 Willow Drive, McAdenville, NC), receive some kayaking and water safety basics, learn a little about the South Fork, the Catawba River basin, and the work of Catawba Riverkeeper, before heading out on their adventure from the Pharr Family Launch. This 2 mile paddle through gentle-flowing water is perfect for beginners and will take participants 1 mile upstream to the rocky shoals. Paddlers can then float back down to the Pharr Family Launch and end their trip where they started!

More Details:

Out-and-back paddle in McAdenville
Up to 15 kayaks Monday-Friday or up to 12 kayaks Saturday-Sunday
Option for single or tandem kayaks
Includes paddles and life vests

Cost:

$20/boat (non-profit/social partners)
$30 (corporate guests)
Optional Add-ons

Optional Add-ons:

Guided paddle with a Riverkeeper Employee – Additional $5 per person
Guided hike on the Pharr Family Trail – Additional $5 per person
Private Social at The Boathouse (canned beer only) - Inquire for rental fee

Goat on a Boat Paddle

Our other out-and-back self-guided paddle is our Goat on a Boat Paddle! Participants will meet at Confluence (117 Center Street, Cramerton, NC) and learn about kayaking and water safety basics, about the Catawba River basin, and about the ongoing projects of Catawba Riverkeeper from our Kayak Techs. Once prepped and ready to go, paddlers will put-in at the Centennial Launch and paddle 1 mile downstream, passing under the historic train trestle, past a turn of the century mill village, all the way to Cramerton’s historic Baltimore Community, home to Gaston County’s last single room African American School House. There, the group will turn around for a gentle paddle back to the Centennial Launch in downtown Cramerton. This 2-hour program will include 1-1.5 hours on the water.

More Details:

Out-and-back paddle from Cramerton
Up to 15 kayaks Monday-Friday or up to 12 kayaks Saturday-Sunday
Option for single or tandem kayaks
Includes paddles and life vests

Cost:

$20/boat (non-profit/social partners)
$30 (corporate guests)

Optional Add-ons:

Guided paddle with a Riverkeeper Employee – Additional $5 per person
Guided walk on River Link Greenway with a Riverkeeper Employee – Additional $5 per person
Private Social at Confluence - Inquire for rental fee