Join us for our first trip in our Yakin’ on the Yadkin paddle series! To celebrate the Year of the Trail, we will be having three paddle weekends in September.
Day 1 (Friday, September 1)
Join Yadkin Riverkeeper Edgar Miller for a Lunch and Learn at the Happy Valley Filling Station (HVFS) and a 3 mile paddle on the upper Yadkin River on Friday, September 1. During lunch, the Riverkeeper will discuss YRK’s efforts to assess the feasibility of extending the Yadkin River State Trail (YRST) above Kerr Scott Reservoir and seek community input. Depending on water levels, paddlers will put in at the HVFS or Yadkin Valley Community Park near Patterson, NC, and paddle to the Jones Farm, the site of the Happy Valley Fiddler’s Convention (HVFC), which will be happening Labor Day Weekend as well. Camping is available at the Jones Farm/HVFC for $25. Lunch and paddle registration is $25 or $55 with boat rental. Self-shuttle required.
Put In: Yadkin Valley Community Park- 2450 North Carolina 268 Lenoir, NC, 28645
11 AM: Check in at HVFS
NOON: Lunch
2 PM: Paddle starts
Day 2 (Saturday, September 2)
Paddle with Yadkin Riverkeeper from the Jones Farm/HVFC to the Ferguson access area on Highway NC 268. This six-mile paddle will follow the Yadkin as it runs through the heart of Happy Valley flowing past mature hardwood forest, fertile river bottom farmland and historic landscapes. Tickets are $15 or $45 with boat rental. Self-shuttle required.
Put In: Jones Farm (location of the HVFC)- 3590 NC-268, Lenoir, NC 28645
9 AM: Registration begins
10 AM: Paddle begins
Day 3 (Sunday, September 3)
Paddle from the Ferguson access area to the Marley Ford access area on Kerr Scott Reservoir. This 5-mile paddle will go past the historic Whippoorwill Academy and the land settle by Scottish immigrants like the Fergusons and the Fraziers, as featured in the popular book and TV series, “Outlander.” Tickets are $25 or $55 with boat rental. Shuttle is only provided for this section of the paddle.
Put In: Ferguson Access- 12555 W NC HWY 268, Ferguson, NC 28624
10 AM: Registration begins
11 AM: Paddle begins