Linville River

1. Upper

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December 28, 2024

Low Water Post Helene Trip

ReporterZach Schiada
FlowLow Flow

I ran this today at what I would maybe consider minimum or just below. The USGS gage is very far downstream past the gorge, but was reading at 2.3 ft. It rained overnight in the area and was raining just until I put on. At this level, there was some scraping throughout, but not miserable and plenty of channelized water in the bigger rapids. My best guess is look for at least 2.5 ft on the gage, but if it looks floatable from the put in, you should be ok. There was a low bridge at the beginning, (36.0226097, -81.8954805), likely new since Helene. The dam was easy to get around, but somewhat difficult to get back to the river after portaging. It seemed like if you hike down right by the concrete structure that would be easier access than following the trail at the top and bushwhacking from there. Very fun trip overall, but would have been better with a bit more water.

Low Water Post Helene Trip – Linville River – 1. Upper | American Whitewater