Is it worth the trip?
99Good out of 100 for your dates
3 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 94 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Tue 3 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 98 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Thu 5 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 24°C
- Rain
- 5.1 mm
Fri 6 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 95 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 194, good
- Mon 294, good
- Tue 3100, good
- Wed 498, good
- Thu 5100, good
- Fri 6100, good
- Sat 795, good
- Sun 897, good
- Mon 989, good
- Tue 1078, good
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 | 94, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 94, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 16°C | 1.2 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 100, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 98, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 22°C | 0.3 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 100, good | 5 kn | 15kn | 24°C | 5.1 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 100, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 95, good | 1 kn | 7kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 97, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 89, good | 2 kn | 16kn | 16°C | 6.9 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 78, good | 8 kn | 22kn | 12°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 grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 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 Mon 2 Nov
- Dec7of 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
Smoot Park Access 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
- Greenway Canoe Access 2.1 km away
- Moravian Creek Access 4.4 km away
- Tailwater Access 8.4 km away
- Yadkin River 9.3 km away
- Marley Ford Canoe Launch 16.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Smoot Park Access
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. The town to stay in is Wilkesboro. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- 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.
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$1,190–US$2,150 each
about US$1,190–US$2,150 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 CLT, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$147–US$301 |
| 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$1,190–US$2,150 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Wilkesboro
4 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Wilkesboro 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 5h 50m
About 5h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → CLT, direct, then 2h 10m by road
Flights MDW → CLT on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Wilkesboro · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Wilkesboro · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits