Idols Dam Portage
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
92Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 3 kn gusting 8, Air 22 °C
Wed 4 · 90 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 24°C
- Rain
- 0.1 mm
Thu 5 · 88 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 3.3 mm
Fri 6 · 98 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 3.6 mm
Sat 7 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 90 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 94 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 10 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 398, good
- Wed 490, good
- Thu 588, good
- Fri 698, good
- Sat 775, good
- Sun 890, good
- Mon 994, good
- Tue 1092, good
- Wed 1199, good
- Thu 1272, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 98, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 90, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 24°C | 0.1 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 88, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 23°C | 3.3 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 98, good | 3 kn | 8kn | 22°C | 3.6 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 75, good | 8 kn | 16kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 90, good | 4 kn | 15kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 94, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 92, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 99, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 72, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 14°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).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 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 Wed 4 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
Idols Dam Portage on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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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
- Tanglewood Yadkin River Access 4.7 km away
- US 64 River Access 13 km away
- Huntsville Access 16.9 km away
- Old U.S. 421 River Park Access 18.2 km away
- Yadkin River 19.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Idols Dam Portage
A launch on the Carter Creek. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 36 km away. The town to stay in is Clemmons. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River Carter Creek
- 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 None within 10 km, the nearest 36 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$1,140–US$2,070 each
about US$1,140–US$2,070 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 3 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$101–US$168 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$583 |
| 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$1,140–US$2,070 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Clemmons
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 8 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Clemmons 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 3 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 Clemmons · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Clemmons · 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
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.