Marley Ford Canoe Launch
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
93Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 4 kn gusting 12, Air 22 °C
Tue 3 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 95 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 94 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 2.4 mm
Fri 6 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 96 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kntoo gusty
- Air
- 13°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 393, good
- Wed 495, good
- Thu 594, good
- Fri 697, good
- Sat 796, good
- Sun 886, good
- Mon 975, good
- Tue 1085, good
- Wed 1196, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 10.9 kmthe section
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 | 7kn | 18°C | 0.7 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 93, good | 1 kn | 6kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 95, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 94, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 21°C | 2.4 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 97, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 96, good | 3 kn | 9kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 86, good | 5 kn | 18kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 75, good | 3 kn | 7kntoo gusty | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 85, good | 6 kn | 16kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 96, good | 2 kn | 11kn | 19°C | 0 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.
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
- 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
put-in, take-out, its town
Marley Ford Canoe Launch 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
- Yadkin River 7.3 km away
- Tailwater Access 8.2 km away
- Moravian Creek Access 12.2 km away
- Greenway Canoe Access 14.6 km away
- Smoot Park Access 16.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Marley Ford Canoe Launch
A river section on the Yadkin River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 11 km along the 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 Wilkesboro. Within 5 km we also list 1 mountain bike area.
- River Yadkin River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 11 km along the river.
- 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$1,190–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 2 November 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$148–US$302 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,190–US$2,150 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Wilkesboro
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 30 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 2 November 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 · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Wilkesboro · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Wilkesboro · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at YADKIN RIVER BL W KERR SCOTT DAM NEAR BUCK, NC, 1 km downstream: 8.86 m³/s, normal for November (updated 3 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
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 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.