River guideNorth Carolina and Virginia and West Virginia
New River
Plan a paddle across 10 paddle areas. Compare distance, difficulty, and today’s conditions before choosing your stretch.
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Start with distance, then compare today’s conditions.
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River overview
New River paddle planning
What to verify before you commit.
Water levels
These New River routes use 6 gauge references depending on the stretch.
Route options
Compare 10 scored routes across Ashe and Watauga Counties, Giles County / Glen Lyn, Grayson County / New River Trail State Park, New River Gorge / Hinton, New River Gorge / Lower New, New River Gorge / Sandstone, New River Gorge / Thurmond-to-Cunard transition, New River Gorge / Upper New, Radford / Pulaski County, Wythe County / New River Trail State Park. Open a route page for put-in, take-out, distance, source confidence, and access notes.
Difficulty
New River routes here are marked easy and hard and moderate, so choose the stretch that fits your group and conditions.
Quick answers
New River paddling FAQ
Where can I paddle the New River?
Paddle Today tracks 10 New River routes across Ashe and Watauga Counties, Giles County / Glen Lyn, Grayson County / New River Trail State Park, New River Gorge / Hinton, New River Gorge / Lower New, New River Gorge / Sandstone, New River Gorge / Thurmond-to-Cunard transition, New River Gorge / Upper New, Radford / Pulaski County, Wythe County / New River Trail State Park. Compare the route cards on this page, then open an individual route for put-in, take-out, distance, and access notes.
How should I check New River water levels?
Start with the route score and gauge notes for the stretch you plan to paddle. This hub includes routes watched with 6 gauges or gauge references, and each route page explains its own target range or low-water floor.
Which New River route is best today?
Use the live route cards above to compare today's Paddle Today scores. The best stretch can change with water level, recent trend, weather, access, and route difficulty.