Nantahala River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
97Good out of 100 for your dates
3 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 94 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 95 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0.5 mm
Thu 5 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Fri 6 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 90 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 91 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 190, good
- Mon 294, good
- Tue 3100, good
- Wed 495, good
- Thu 5100, good
- Fri 6100, good
- Sat 790, good
- Sun 891, good
- Mon 982, good
- Tue 1069, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 90, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 14°C | 4.3 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 94, good | 5 kn | 15kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 100, good | 6 kn | 18kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 95, good | 6 kn | 19kn | 18°C | 0.5 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 100, good | 5 kn | 17kn | 21°C | 0.6 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 100, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 90, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 91, good | 7 kn | 21kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 82, good | 4 kn | 15kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 69, good | 8 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 8°C | 0.3 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. 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.
Map
the spot and its town
Nantahala 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. Days past the forecast count as they usually are.
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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
- Nantahala River 4.1 km away
- Nantahala River 4.1 km away
- Adventurous Fast Rivers 5 km away
- Nantahala River 6.2 km away
- Panel Branch Lake Access 21.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Nantahala River
A launch on the Nantahala River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 5.0 km away. The town to stay in is Robbinsville. Within 5 km we also list 3 kayak spots.
- River Nantahala River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 5.0 km away.
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$1,180–US$2,130 each
about US$1,180–US$2,130 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to TYS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$134–US$281 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$1,180–US$2,130 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Robbinsville
25 min by car · 8 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Robbinsville 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 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 4h 35m
About 4h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → TYS, direct, then 1h 10m by road
Flights MDW → TYS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Robbinsville · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Robbinsville · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at NANTAHALA RIVER NEAR HEWITT, NC, 0 km downstream: 18.8 m³/s, high for November (updated 4 h ago). Running.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Adventurous Fast Rivers 5.0 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits