Custom Trips Available

Do you have something special in mind — paddling to a different destination or developing a unique adventure for your friends to join in on? Your business, church, or social group?

We can help. Our staff can design and manage the perfect event for your group, allowing participants to escape confining offices; learn about local history and natural resources; build a sense of teamwork; view rare plants, birds and wildlife; get to know one another better; learn new lifelong skills; and connect once again with nature.

It’s impossible to describe what is available, because there is no “typical” offering. Some recent adventures included:

• Leaders from a local government exploring their natural resources, learning more about local history and getting to know each other better.
• Church and social groups finding an experienced guide to help them explore and learn about special interests.
• Corporate and bank executives building effective work teams by trading another day at the office for the escape of paddling and informal interaction of a leisurely luncheon.
• Scouts enjoying the outdoors, learning about nature and working toward achievement badges.

The options are limitless.  Call into our offices for help in booking your next adventure

The Haw River Paddler

“Out of the millions of spheres in the universe, the one we call Earth is ours ….  We live here.  That places a responsibility on us.”  Sinio Esteve

JORDAN LAKE, NC – Educational Event

On the eve of Memorial Day weekend, when the lake is likely to be pack full of visitors, non-profit groups hosted a media event at Jordan Lake. The groups spoke to their concerns of what happens to the lake if rules that have already been delayed that are intended to improve the water quality of the impaired waterway, are never implemented.  Speakers at the event were available for interview by several TV stations after the event.

The location provided a great view of the lake.  The event was coordinated by the NC Sierra Club, the Haw River Assembly, Environment North Carolina, and WakeUP Wake County.  

 Background information on the Jordan Lake Rules:

Jordan Lake is the drinking water resource for 300,000 North Carolinians.  Rapid population growth, expanding sprawl, and agricultural pollution have lead to dangerous levels of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the lake.  The Environmental Management Commission first adopted rules to clean up Jordan Lake in 2008.  In 2009, the legislature passed compromise legislation to reduce upstream pollution and clean up the lake. Upstream developers and municipalities continue to fight these rules while other communities complied in good faith.  The North Carolina Senate recently voted to eliminate the rules.  The House is now considering doing the same.

Note:  The above information was taken from a press release by Dustin Chicurel-Bayard, Communications Director for the North Carolina Sierra Club.

Bynum Downriver Paddle

4.0 miles, 2.5 hours
Class I-II rapids
Min. river level – 3.5′ Bynum gauge (340 cfs)
Access points – easy
$40 per single sit-on-top kayak

This whitewater stretch of the Haw River flows through the Lower Haw River State Natural Area which is approximately 1,000 acres in size and extends on both sides of the river from Bynum to Highway 64 in Chatham County.  Long popular with hikers and canoeists, the Lower Haw River State Natural area is remarkable for its steep slopes, large trees and rock outcrops.  Preservation of the natural area aids in the protection of water quality which is critical to at least two endangered species, the Cape Fear shiner and Septima’s clubtail dragonfly.

Bynum Upriver Paddle – short trip

3.0 miles, 1.5 hours
Class A flat water
Min. river level – none above 15-501 dam
Access points – moderate
$30 per single kayak or stand up paddleboard, $40 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

An easy, short paddle for beginners and experienced paddlers upriver of the dam at Bynum.  This is a great introductory experience particularly for parents paddling with small children. This is a loop trip ending at the same place where you begin.

Explore Saxapahaw – Weekend Getaways

Escape the stress of busy schedules and experience the quiet, historic village of Saxapahaw with all-inclusive getaway packages for couples, groups and corporate retreats. You relax while we handle all of the details which include lodging at River Landing Inn, a comfortable, four-room bed-and-breakfast, dining at The Eddy, wine tasting at the award-winning Benjamin Vineyards and Winery and nature-based paddling with The Haw River Canoe & Kayak Co.
Specially-designed weekends help couples rejuvenate their relationships or anyone to get away for a much-needed period of relaxation. Customized corporate retreats combine comfortable meeting space, wine-and-cheese breaks and teambuilding activities with escapes onto the river and other amenities.

Home School Education Trips

Whether your child’s interest is environmental science, biology, geography, history, economics or math, the Haw River is an ideal place to develop new knowledge and apply information gained from independent study to real-life situations.
Expedition-based education from The Haw River Canoe & Kayak Co. requires students to research a topic of personal interest and then make a presentation on what they learned during an outdoor, recreational expedition lasting from a few hours to several days.

Below is a detailed description of our expedition-based education for home-schoolers.

Homeschool expedition based education

Bynum Upriver Paddle – half day

4.0 miles, 2.5 hours
Class A flat water
Min. river level – none above 15-501 dam
Access points – moderate
$40 per single kayak or stand up paddleboard, $50 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

Flat-water upriver of the dam in Bynum is especially well suited for both beginner paddlers and anyone interested in nature. Parents paddling with small children find the experience particularly gratifying.  This is a loop trip ending at the same place where you begin.

Chicken Bridge Rd. to Hwy. 15-501

6.5 miles, 4 hours
Class I-II rapids
Min. river level – 2.5′ Haw River gauge (280 cfs)
Access points – moderate
$40 per single sit-on-top kayak

Comprised of numerous class I rapids and at least 2 miles of consistent class II rapids, this is a popular whitewater stretch of the Haw River.  It is also remote and scenic and offers many opportunities to watch birds and wildlife.

Glencoe River Park to Graham Landing

8 miles, 4.5 hours
Class I-II rapids
Min. river level – 2.5′ Haw River gauge (280 cfs)
Access points – easy
$50 per single sit-on-top kayak

The first half of this trip offers exciting class I and class II rapids as the river flows through urban and industrial areas. The second half of this trip offers a more remote paddling experience with gently, flowing water and lots of birds and wildlife.

Glencoe River Park to Red Slide Park

4.7 miles, 2.5 hours
Class I-II rapids
Min. river level – 2.5′ Haw River gauge (280 cfs)
Access points – easy
$40 per single sit-on-top kayak

Numerous class I and class II rapids make this a particularly challenging stretch of river. Although the river flows through both urban and industrial areas, the rapids are fun to negotiate and there are enough remote sections with birds and wildlife to observe.

Glencoe River Park to Swepsonville River Park

10 miles, 5 hours
Class I-II rapids
Min. river level – 2.5′ Haw River gauge (280 cfs)
Access points – easy
$50 per single sit-on-top kayak

This paddling experience offers class I and class II rapids during the first third of the trip, remote flatwater for the second third of the trip and ends with class I and class I+ rapids during the final third of the trip.

Graham Landing to Saxapahaw Lake

8 miles, 4.5 hours
Class I+ rapids
Min. river level – 2′ Haw River gauge (200 cfs)
Access points – easy, portage – easy
$50 per single kayak, $60 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

This trip is best for those with previous paddling experience who want more time on the water. Paddlers maneuver through both natural and man-made objects and enjoy opportunities to watch birds and wildlife. There is one easy portage around the Puryear Dam in Swepsonville on this trip.

Graham Landing to Swepsonville River Park

2.1 miles, 1 hour
Class I+ rapids
Min. river level – 2′ Haw River gauge (200 cfs)
Access points – easy
$30 per single kayak, $40 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

This trip is best for those interested in a little excitement. Class I and class I+ rapids cause the paddler to negotiate both natural and man-made objects.

Greater Alamance Creek Paddle

2.7 miles, 1.5 hours
Class A flat water
Min. river level – none above Puryear dam
Access points – easy
$30 per single kayak, $40 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

Great for beginning paddlers and anyone who likes the feel of a remote, intimate river, this trip offers gentle flowing water, steep wooded slopes and unsuspecting birds and wildlife.

Greater Alamance Creek to Saxapahaw Lake

6.5 miles, 4 hours
Class A flat water
Min. river level – none between Puryear dam & Saxapahaw dam
Access points – easy, portage – easy
$40 per single kayak, $50 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

Greater Alamance Creek offers paddlers a remote setting with lots of birds and wildlife. An even greater variety and abundance of birds and wildlife is available to see as the paddler continues downriver to Saxapahaw Lake. There is one easy portage around the Puryear Dam in Swepsonville on this trip.

Old Greensboro Rd. to Chicken Bridge Rd.

5.5 miles, 3 hours
Class I-II rapids
Min. river level – 2.3′ Haw River gauge (250 cfs)
Access points – easy
$40 per single sit-on-top kayak

There are many class I rapids and enough class II rapids to make this remote section of river both relaxing and exciting. Like the area upriver of the put-in, the river is particularly beautiful with lots of birds and wildlife to observe.

Red Slide Park to Graham Landing

3.2 miles, 1.5 hours
Class I+ rapids
Min. river level – 2′ Haw River gauge (200 cfs)
Access points – easy
$30 per single kayak, $40 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

Great for beginning paddlers and anyone interested in nature, this trip features easy paddling and opportunities to watch birds and wildlife.

Red Slide Park to Saxapahaw Lake

11 miles, 6.5 hours
Class I+ rapids
Min. river level – 2′ Haw River gauge (200 cfs)
Access points – easy, portage easy
$50 per single kayak, $60 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak
$30 per kayak or canoe for second day
$10 per person per night camping fee or $50 per platform for up to six people

This trip is best for anyone wanting a weekend overnight canoe camping trip that offers different river conditions, including class I and class I+ rapids, different forests and landscape types, solitude, an isolated campsite on Spirit Island and many opportunities to watch birds and wildlife. This trip can also be done in a day if started early in the day. There is one easy portage around the Puryear Dam in Swepsonville on this trip.

Red Slide Park to Swepsonville River Park

5.2 miles, 2.5 hours
Class I+ rapids
Min. river level – 2′ Haw River gauge (200 cfs)
Access points – easy
$40 per single kayak, $50 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

This trip is best for those with some previous paddling experience. Class I and class I+ rapids add to the excitement of paddling this stretch of river. Birds and wildlife are easy to observe.

Saxapahaw Lake & Upriver – short trip

3 miles, 1.5 hours
Class A flat water
Min. river level – none above Saxapahaw dam
Access points – easy
$30 per single kayak or stand up paddleboard, $40 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

A leisurely short paddle awaits beginner and experienced paddlers alike upriver of the dam in Saxapahaw. This is a great introductory experience particularly for parents paddling with children. This is a loop trip ending at the same place where you begin.

THE SHUTTLE FOR THIS TRIP WILL LEAVE OUR OFFICE AT 10AM, 12PM, AND 2PM DURING THE WEEKENDS.
FOR WEEKDAYS PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL FOR AVAILABILITY.
336-260-6465
Admin@hawrivercanoe.com

Saxapahaw Lake & Upriver – half day

5.5 miles, 3 hours
Class A flat water
Min. river level – none above Saxapahaw dam
Access points – easy
$40 per single kayak or stand up paddleboard, $50 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

A leisurely day of paddling awaits beginner and experienced paddlers alike upriver of the dam on Saxapahaw Lake. This is a great introductory experience particularly for parents paddling with children. This is a loop trip ending at the same place where you begin.

Saxapahaw Lake & Upriver – full day

9 miles, 5 hours
Class A flat water
Min. river level – none above Saxapahaw dam
Access points – easy
$50 per single kayak or stand up paddleboard, $60 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

A leisurely day of paddling awaits beginner and experienced paddlers alike upriver of the dam on Saxapahaw Lake. This is a great introductory experience particularly for parents paddling with children. This is a loop trip ending at the same place where you begin.

Saxapahaw Mill Race to Chicken Bridge Rd.

11 miles, 6 hours
Class I-II rapids
Min. river level – 2.3′ Haw River gauge (250 cfs)
Access points – moderate
$50 per single sit-on-top kayak

This trip is perfect for anyone wanting a longer and exciting whitewater experience coupled with beautiful, remote scenery and lots of birds and wildlife.

Saxapahaw Mill Race to Old Greensboro Rd.

5.5 miles, 3 hours
Class I-II rapids
Min. river level – 2.3′ Haw River gauge (250 cfs)
Access points – moderate
$40 per single sit-on-top kayak

The many class I rapids and the long, beautiful class II rapid make this section of the river both fun and exciting, while surrounding mature floodplain forests make it a particularly beautiful stretch of river, rich with birds and wildlife.

Shallow Ford Natural Area to Indian Valley

5.2 miles, 2.5 hours
Class I rapids
Min. river level – 2′ Haw River gauge (200 cfs)
Access points – easy, portage – easy
$40 per single kayak, $50 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

Originating from the 192-acre riverside park in northeastern Alamance County, this river trip is good for the beginner paddler and anyone who enjoys a remote, intimate river experience. Near the end of the trip, paddlers must carry around, not paddle over, the low-head dam at Indian Valley.

Spirit Island Campout

9 miles, overnight camping
Class A flat water
Min. river level – none above Saxapahaw dam
Access points – easy
$60 per canoe for the first day, $30 for the second day
$10 per person per night camping fee or $50 per platform for up to six people

Need to get away for the weekend, but don’t want to go too far from home? Spirit Island, reached by a segment of river without rapids, is an ideal place to shed the stresses of an urban lifestyle and enjoy isolation, beautiful scenery and plenty of birds and wildlife.

Swepsonville River Park to Saxapahaw Lake

4.7 miles, 2.5 hours
Class A flat water
Min. river level – none between Puryear dam & Saxapahaw dam
Access points – easy, portage – easy
$40 per single kayak, $50 per tandem canoe or tandem kayak

Enjoyed by inexperienced and experienced paddlers alike, this trip offers a variety of flatwater river conditions and landscapes, along with the opportunity to watch birds and wildlife. There is one easy portage around the Puryear Dam in Swepsonville at the beginning of this trip.

THE SHUTTLE FOR THESE TRIPS LEAVES AT 9AM, 11AM, AND 1PM DURING THE WEEKENDS
PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL FOR AVAILABILITY DURING THE WEEK
336-260-6465
Admin@hawrivercanoe.com