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New River State Park, Laurel Springs, NC

Photo: Zanter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & OutdoorsOutdoor Adventure

New River State Park

Float a kayak or inner tube down the shallow, north-flowing New River from one of several free access points in the Blue Ridge of Ashe County.

U.S. 221 Access, 358 New River State Park Road, Laurel Springs, NC 28644 · Laurel Springs, NC

About New River State Park

New River State Park strings several accesses along a National Wild and Scenic River in Ashe and Alleghany counties, about 35 miles northeast of Boone. The New River flows north, against the grain of the Appalachians, and some geologists think it is among the oldest rivers on the continent. The water is shallow and gentle, so every access works for launching kayaks, canoes or inner tubes, and some campsites can only be reached by paddling. The U.S. 221 Access has the visitor center and exhibits, and the park has about 9 miles of hiking trail. Day use is free.

  • #state park
  • #paddling
  • #tubing
  • #river
  • #camping

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What's around here?

The closest stops to New River State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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