Shallow Ford Paddle Access
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
94Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 1 kn gusting 9, Air 22 °C
Mon 2 · 91 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 2 mm
Tue 3 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 89 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 24°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Fri 6 · 99 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 97 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 183, good
- Mon 291, good
- Tue 397, good
- Wed 489, good
- Thu 580, good
- Fri 699, good
- Sat 797, good
- Sun 892, good
- Mon 976, good
- Tue 1074, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 8.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 83, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 91, good | 4 kn | 8kn | 17°C | 2 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 97, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 21°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 89, good | 5 kn | 10kn | 24°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 80, good | 8 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 23°C | 0.6 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 99, good | 1 kn | 9kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 97, good | 3 kn | 13kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 92, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 76, good | 7 kn | 14kn | 16°C | 3.3 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 74, good | 8 kn | 16kn | 16°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 Mon 2 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
Shallow Ford Paddle 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
3 places
- Indian Valley Paddle Access 4.3 km away
- Great Bend Park Paddle Access 5.1 km away
- Haw River 5.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Shallow Ford Paddle Access
A river section on the Haw River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 8.8 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 47 km away. The town to stay in is Burlington. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- River Haw River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 8.8 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 None within 10 km, the nearest 47 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$1,190–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 ORD to GSO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines 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: Burlington
14 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Burlington 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 55m
About 4h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → GSO, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → GSO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Burlington · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Burlington · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at HAW RIVER AT HAW RIVER, NC, 8 km downstream: 1.94 m³/s, very low for November (updated 3 h ago). Low.
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 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.