The Roanoke River in North Carolina, from the NC Rt. Water levels and their effects on the difficulty of the trip are a little different from most places. A short distance upstream of the Rt 48 bridge is the Roanoke Rapids Dam, the last in a long succession on the river that include Lake Gaston, Kerr Reservoir, Leesville, Smith Mountain and several lesser dams. The first mile is dominated by slight riffles and flatwater with a noisy, and if the wind is right, fragrant paper mill on the right. The second mile is dominated by decreasing noise from the paper mill, more flatwater, wilderness on river left and a very nice riverfront community on river right.
Access is across private property, so seek out the owner s permission.
In the third mile, the river breaks up around many islands and begins to have some Class I rapids and an occasional small surfing wave. This is a gorgeous lunch stop. A two-step ledge totalling about 7' at low water. The far right chute is called the Dumpster, a single narrow channel with two nice holes and a curling wave to make the run an iffy proposition. During these trips, I heard it compared to Nantahala Falls, the North Anna Fallsline Rapid and a mini-Hollywood.