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 | South Toe River Road bridge Forest road crossing, top of the mapped river | Bridge crossing | 35.73725, -82.23374 | The highest crossing on the chained line, at km 0.46. Everything above here is headwater water running up toward Upper Creek and the Black Mountains. |
| 2 | Briar Bottom Campground USFS - Pisgah National Forest, Appalachian District | Campsite | 35.74725, -82.22533 | 108 m off the water at km 1.84. The group campground above Black Mountain, at the foot of the Mount Mitchell trail network, with open bank either side of it. |
| 3 | South Toe Trailhead Parking USFS - Black Mountain Campground area | Access / boat ramp | 35.75102, -82.22010 | 64 m off the water at km 2.83 and the first signed parking on the way down. The unnamed service bridge beside it is the campground's own access and does not ship separately. |
| 4 | Black Mountain Campground USFS - Cradle of Forestry in America | Campsite | 35.75217, -82.22080 | 79 m off the water at km 2.88 and the best-known camp on the river. The Mount Mitchell trailhead leaves from it, and the river runs the length of the loop. |
| 5 | Low dam below Black Mountain Campground Unnamed in OSM - 3 m off the line | Dam / hazard | 35.75245, -82.21797 | Sits effectively on the centreline at km 3.13 and is the only in-river structure on the whole 50 km. Read it before you wade or drift through this reach. |
| 6 | South Toe Fishing Access USFS - signed accessible access | Access / boat ramp | 35.75099, -82.21329 | 66 m off the water at km 3.78. Named in OSM as a fishing access and carrying its own parking area and footbridge over the river; all three are one place and ship here as one. |
| 7 | Sweetwater Ridge Road bridge Residential road crossing | Bridge crossing | 35.76354, -82.20647 | km 5.41. The first crossing below the national forest campgrounds and the landmark for the private-land reach that follows. |
| 8 | Riverwood Drive bridge Residential road crossing | Bridge crossing | 35.77348, -82.21196 | km 7.61, in the middle of the unlisted reach between Upper Creek and Clear Creek. Bank here is largely private; read the posting before you step in. |
| 9 | Clear Creek confluence - regulation boundary NCWRC designation changes here | Point of interest | 35.79489, -82.20170 | Below here: Hatchery Supported Trout Waters, to the lower boundary of the Yancey County recreation park. Above here to Upper Creek the table lists no designation; above Upper Creek it is Catch and Release / Artificial Flies and Lures Only. |
| 10 | Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area USFS - campground, picnic area and day use | Campsite | 35.80426, -82.20392 | 152 m off the water at km 12.88 and the main developed stop on the middle river. OSM carries it three times - campground, park and picnic site - and it is one place. |
| 11 | NC 80 bridge at Carolina Hemlocks State Highway 80 South | Bridge crossing | 35.80611, -82.20151 | km 13.78. The first state-highway crossing on the river, at the recreation area, and the easiest place to judge the water from the road. |
| 12 | Snake Ridge Road bridge Residential road crossing | Bridge crossing | 35.81191, -82.19707 | km 14.60, just below Carolina Hemlocks. A short walk from the highway and inside the hatchery-supported reach. |
| 13 | USGS 03463300 South Toe River near Celo Flow and stage | USGS gauge | 35.83139, -82.18417 | 15 m off the line at km 17.29, just above the Seven Mile Ridge Road bridge. The NWIS expanded site record reproduced the roster coordinate to all eight decimals. |
| 14 | Seven Mile Ridge Road bridge Residential road crossing at Celo | Bridge crossing | 35.83328, -82.18338 | km 17.56 and the crossing the USGS gage is named for. Celo sits on the bank here. |
| 15 | Blue Rock Road bridge Tertiary road crossing | Bridge crossing | 35.87126, -82.19683 | km 26.83, at the head of the long westward meander below Celo, and the crossing immediately above the Toe River Campground. |
| 16 | Toe River Campground - Mountain Heritage Trout Waters NCWRC designation - Burnsville | Point of interest | 35.87222, -82.20232 | The river inside the property boundaries of the Yancey County Toe River Campground is designated Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. This marker sits on the line beside the campground at km 27.48. |
| 17 | Toe River Campground Yancey County | Campsite | 35.87233, -82.20208 | 25 m off the water at km 27.48 - closer to the bank than anything else on the river. The county campground, and the stretch the Mountain Heritage designation is written around. |
| 18 | US 19E bridge Two carriageways, one crossing | Bridge crossing | 35.90599, -82.18827 | km 38.41. The main highway crossing on the lower river, near Micaville. OSM carries the two carriageways 13 m apart; they are one crossing and ship as one. |
| 19 | NC 80 bridge at Micaville State Highway 80 | Bridge crossing | 35.90865, -82.19132 | km 38.83, 400 m below US 19E. The last named crossing before the river runs the final 11 km to the North Toe. |
| 20 | North Toe River confluence Mouth of the South Toe, km 50.00 | Point of interest | 35.94358, -82.18612 | The bottom of the chained line, where the South Toe meets the North Toe to form the Toe River. The North Toe's own OSM ways touch this point at 0 m, which is what confirms the mouth. |
Gauge: USGS 03463300 — South Toe River near Celo, NC. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Rock Bass, 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.
Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area on Highway 80 - the main developed access with parking, camping and river frontage.
Black Mountain Campground on Forest Service Road 472 - upper river access at the base of Mount Mitchell.
South Toe River Road pull-offs - numerous informal parking spots along the middle river.
Celo community access at the Highway 80 crossing - central wading access on the stocked water.
Briar Bottom group camp area - upper forest access to smaller wild trout water.
Newdale and the lower Highway 80 bridges - lower river access where warmwater species mix in.
Forest Service Road 472 upper pull-offs - headwater access for wild rainbow and brook trout fishing.
Spring: stocking begins, snow and rain keep the river full, and hatches build through April and May.
Summer: low and clear by August with heavy recreational use in the swimming holes, so fish high or fish early.
Fall: cool nights sharpen the fishing, crowds thin sharply, and the wild upper water is at its best.
Winter: cold and quiet, with delayed harvest style angling and very little competition