Wilson Creek, North Carolina, US

C) The Gorge: National Forest sign to parking area above Brown Mtn. Beach

Usual Difficulty	III-IV (for normal flows)
Length	2 Miles
Avg. Gradient	95 fpm
Max Gradient	100 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
JOHNS RIVER AT ARNEYS STORE, NC
usgs-02140991	750 - 5000 cfs	III-IV	00h29m	309 cfs (rc= -0.1 )

River Description

Some of the bigger rapids include: Mank Above 10ft, Ten Foot Falls, No Name, Boatbuster, Thunderhole, Triple Drop, Bitchslap, Hidden Eddy, Razorback, and Huntley's Retreat

Between these drops are numerous large ledges with accompanying large ledge holes.

The best description of the river can be found in William Nealy's classic guidebook "Whitewater Home Companion, Vol. 2"

Benner and Benners Carolina Whitewater has an excellent discription of the river.
Appalachian Whitewater : The Southern States

AFWS Current Rainfall Data for Caldwell County.
Gauge 1835, Edgemont, is at the beginning of Section 2 of Wilson Creek.

 

Note added by Garrick Taylor:

Go to either http://www.boatingbeta.com/cgi-bin/myflows.cgi or http://syotr.org/?s=l to find a virtual gauge based on an AFWS gauge located on Wilson Creek.  This virtual gauge is far more accurate than relying on the USGS gauge on the Johns River.

Wilson Creek is one of the newest federally-designated Wild and Scenic Rivers. Click here to check out their description!

Directions:
From Morganton NC go north on Highway 181 toward Linville. Take a right (east) on Adako Road and follow that to Brown Mountain Beach. Take FS 1328 North past Brown Mountain Beach.
The take-out is on the left. It will be the first parking area on the left after the pavement ends. The put-in is the first parking area on the left past Ten Foot Falls (visible from the road), aproximately 3 miles past the take-out.

From Lenior take Highway 90 north to Collettsville. Then take a left on Adako Road and follow it to Brown Mountain Beach.