Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
91Good out of 100 for your dates
3 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 89 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 4.8 mm
Fri 6 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 5.7 mm
Sat 7 · 95 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 33 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 12kntoo gusty
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 296, good
- Tue 397, good
- Wed 497, good
- Thu 589, good
- Fri 697, good
- Sat 795, good
- Sun 884, good
- Mon 933, poor
- Tue 1073, good
- Wed 1194, good
The spot in one fact
- Flat waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 96, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 19°C | 0.9 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 97, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 97, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 89, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 22°C | 4.8 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 97, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 23°C | 5.7 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 95, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 84, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 33, poor | 7 kn | 12kntoo gusty | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 73, good | 7 kn | 16kntoo gusty | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 94, good | 2 kn | 10kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov7of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Dan River on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
5 places
- Pitzer Road Public Fishing Area 4.2 km away
- Snow Creek Access 4.6 km away
- Hemlock Golf Course River Access 7.4 km away
- Madison River Park 18.2 km away
- Mayodan Access 20.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Dan River
A launch on the Dan River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Madison. Within 5 km we also list 3 kayak spots.
- River Dan River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,130–US$2,060 each
about US$1,130–US$2,060 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to GSO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$148–US$302 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$94–US$161 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$1,130–US$2,060 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Madison
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 40 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Madison its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 4h 55m
About 4h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → GSO, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → GSO on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Madison · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Madison · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits