Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hurricane Creek Horse & Primitive Campground Nantahala National Forest - primitive, horse camp | Campsite | 35.05527, -83.51013 | Upper river, about mile 3. First mapped campground on the Nantahala, 165 m off the channel. |
| 2 | Standing Indian Road bridge (FS 424) Forest Service road 424 | Bridge crossing | 35.07457, -83.52980 | Crossing at the head of the Standing Indian recreation area, about mile 5. |
| 3 | Standing Indian Campground Store Standing Indian Campground, Nantahala National Forest | Campsite | 35.07734, -83.52978 | Camp store node for the Standing Indian campground, 189 m off the river at about mile 5.4. The campground's numbered pitches are mapped separately and are not listed. |
| 4 | Winding Stair Campground Nantahala National Forest | Campsite | 35.09821, -83.54500 | About mile 7.8, 192 m off the channel. |
| 5 | US 64 bridge (Murphy Road) US 64 | Bridge crossing | 35.09422, -83.56029 | The upper river's main highway crossing, about mile 9. |
| 6 | USGS 03504000 - Nantahala River near Rainbow Springs USGS streamgage - upper river | USGS gauge | 35.12750, -83.61861 | About mile 14.5, above Nantahala Lake. Coordinates confirmed against the USGS NWIS expanded site record. |
| 7 | Tate Cove Road bridge Tate Cove Road | Bridge crossing | 35.12987, -83.62462 | Crossing beside the Rainbow Springs gauge, about mile 14.9. |
| 8 | Nantahala Dam Impounds Nantahala Lake | Dam / hazard | 35.19951, -83.65334 | About mile 25. The river above this point is lake; the tailrace below runs to the powerhouse at the head of the gorge. |
| 9 | Hatchery Supported Trout Waters (upper) - Dicks Creek NCWRC, Macon County - upper boundary | Regulation section limit | 35.22209, -83.66000 | Dicks Creek confluence, about mile 27.8. NCWRC lists Nantahala River (upper) as Hatchery Supported Trout Waters from Dicks Creek to Whiteoak Creek. The Junaluska Road bridge crosses here. |
| 10 | Delayed Harvest Trout Waters - Whiteoak Creek NCWRC, Macon County - upper boundary | Regulation section limit | 35.25006, -83.64078 | Whiteoak Creek confluence, about mile 31. NCWRC lists the Delayed Harvest reach as Whiteoak Creek to the Nantahala hydropower discharge canal. The Old River Road bridge crosses here. |
| 11 | Wayah Road bridge (Delayed Harvest reach) Wayah Road | Bridge crossing | 35.24687, -83.65368 | About mile 31.8. Wayah Road follows the Delayed Harvest water and crosses it four times; the two most useful spans are on this sheet. |
| 12 | Wayah Road bridge at the head of the gorge Wayah Road, Beechertown | Bridge crossing | 35.26923, -83.67489 | About mile 34.6, immediately above the commercial put-in ramps. |
| 13 | Nantahala Gorge put-in ramp, Wayah Road Unnamed in OpenStreetMap - tagged whitewater put-in | Access / boat ramp | 35.27030, -83.67596 | Beechertown, Macon County, about mile 34.8. Forest Service gravel parking 56 m away. Uppermost of the three ramps at the head of the gorge. |
| 14 | Nantahala Gorge ramp, Nantahala Bikeway (upper) Unnamed in OpenStreetMap - tagged whitewater put-in | Access / boat ramp | 35.27346, -83.67813 | Beechertown, about mile 35.1. Duke Energy permissive parking 180 m away. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Nantahala Gorge ramp, Nantahala Bikeway (lower) Unnamed in OpenStreetMap - tagged whitewater put-in | Access / boat ramp | 35.27463, -83.68093 | Beechertown, about mile 35.3. Forest Service sealed parking 120 m away. Lowest of the three head-of-gorge ramps. |
| 16 | Swain County Hatchery Supported Trout Waters - county line NCWRC, Swain County - upper boundary | Regulation section limit | 35.28244, -83.67310 | Macon / Swain county line, about mile 36.1, located to within 35 m along the centreline. NCWRC lists the Swain County reach from the Macon County line to existing Fontana Reservoir water level. |
| 17 | US 19/US 74 bridge above Ferebee US 19 / US 74 | Bridge crossing | 35.30154, -83.65390 | About mile 38. The highway runs the length of the gorge below this crossing. |
| 18 | Ferebee Memorial Picnic Area river access Ramp unnamed in OpenStreetMap; picnic area 110 m away | Access / boat ramp | 35.30259, -83.65391 | About mile 38, Swain County. Standard gorge take-out and put-in; the slipway and the named picnic area are one signed place and ship as one point. |
| 19 | USGS 03505550 - Nantahala River near Hewitt USGS streamgage - gorge reach | USGS gauge | 35.30500, -83.65222 | About mile 38.2, in the gorge below the powerhouse. Coordinates confirmed against the USGS NWIS expanded site record. |
| 20 | Nantahala Gorge ramp, US 19/74 at Talc Mountain Unnamed in OpenStreetMap | Access / boat ramp | 35.33290, -83.62790 | About mile 40.9, Swain County, 14 m off the channel on the highway side. |
| 21 | Endless River Adventures Paddling outfitter and instruction | Outfitter / canoe rental | 35.33152, -83.60817 | US 19/74 in the lower gorge, about mile 42.2, 93 m off the river. |
| 22 | Nantahala Gorge ramp above the Outdoor Center Unnamed in OpenStreetMap | Access / boat ramp | 35.33333, -83.59753 | About mile 42.9, roughly half a mile above the Nantahala Outdoor Center. |
| 23 | Nantahala Outdoor Center Adventure centre and outfitter's store, US 19/74 | Outfitter / canoe rental | 35.33199, -83.59277 | About mile 43.2, at the foot of the gorge. The adventure centre and the outfitter's store are mapped separately 100 m apart and ship as one point. |
| 24 | Appalachian Trail footbridge at the Outdoor Center Appalachian Trail | Bridge crossing | 35.33168, -83.59216 | The AT crosses the Nantahala here, about mile 43.2. |
| 25 | US 19/US 74 bridge at the Outdoor Center US 19 / US 74 | Bridge crossing | 35.33147, -83.59124 | About mile 43.3, the last highway crossing above Fontana. |
| 26 | Carolina Outfitters Rafting outfitter, US 19/74 | Outfitter / canoe rental | 35.32854, -83.58025 | About mile 43.6, 1.0 km off the river below the Outdoor Center. |
| 27 | Turkey Creek Campground Lower river above Fontana Reservoir | Campsite | 35.37796, -83.57418 | About mile 47.7, 880 m off the channel. |
| 28 | Swain County Park Swain County | Park / conservation area | 35.37593, -83.56266 | About mile 47.8, at the head of Fontana Reservoir where the river ends. |
Gauge: USGS 03504000 — Nantahala River near Rainbow Springs, NC. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass
Regulations: www.ncwildlife.gov/fishing/regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Standing Indian Campground: headwater access in the Nantahala National Forest.
Rainbow Springs and the upper Nantahala Road: wade access near the gauge.
White Oak and the delayed harvest sections: marked state access points on the upper river.
Nantahala Lake: the impoundment separating the upper river from the gorge.
Nantahala Powerhouse: the top of the gorge release reach.
Nantahala Outdoor Center and Highway 19/74: gorge access, parking and shuttles.
October through early June: delayed harvest regulations on the marked sections.
March through May: stocking, hatches and the best fishing on the upper river.
June through August: cold water year-round; the gorge is busy with rafts on release days.
September through November: wild trout on the headwaters, quiet water, fall color in the forest.