Three Days on the Roanoke River
Three Days on the Roanoke River
March 29-31, 2025
a Carolina Paddler article
by Jim Butler.
Photography by Jim Butler and Rich Nathan
The Roanoke River runs 410 miles through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. It has been an important river throughout the history of the United States. The first permanent English settlement in the Carolinas was established at the 1653 Albemarle Settlement, when emigrants from the Virginia Colony with others from New England and Bermuda, settled at the mouths of the Chowan and Roanoke Rivers. The river flows generally east-southeast across the Piedmont of southern Virginia and enters northeastern North Carolina, passing north of Roanoke Rapids at the fall line. The river is impounded in six locations. In northeastern North Carolina, three miles west of Roanoke Rapids, the river is impounded a final time to form Roanoke Rapids Lake.
The Roanoke River State Trail is a paddle trail which follows the lower portion of the river, from Roanoke Rapids to the Albemarle Sound. The Roanoke River has been called “the Amazon of North Carolina.” The trail travels through the largest and least disturbed bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem in the mid-Atlantic. Some animals you might see include bears, beavers, river otters, white-tailed deer, bobcats, and over 200 bird species. Overhead are ancient bald cypress and tupelo trees. Camping platforms are iconic to the river, allowing paddlers to spend the night along the water. The stretch from Roanoke Rapids to Plymouth is 124 miles. There is very little development and there are only four bridges for the entire stretch.
Why did I choose the Roanoke River?
For overnight canoe trips, I prefer river stretches with zero or few portages, nothing greater than class 1 rapids, and water always above minimum. Accessible camping sites are an important factor. I love to fish almost as much as I love to paddle and the big attraction of the Roanoke River this time of year is the fantastic fishing. Anglers flock to the river for its world class Striped Bass (Rockfish), Shad, Largemouth Bass, and Catfish. Although several species can be caught year-round on the Roanoke, the best fishing is during the incredible springtime runs of Shad and Striped Bass between Plymouth and Roanoke Rapids. Weldon is considered the Rockfish capital of the world.
Trip Background
My neighbor and good friend, Rich Nathan, and my oldest son, John, joined me on the trip. John and I paddled my Old Town Camper canoe and Rich paddled his 12-foot Eddyline Caribbean kayak. The three of us have done many overnight river trips together.
The best resource for any eastern NC river excursion is Paddling Eastern North Carolina by Paul Ferguson. Our plan was to do Roanoke River sections 2 and 3 on day one (PENC pp. 427-428), sections 4 and 5 on day two (PENC pp. 428-429) and section six on day three (PENC pp. 429-430). The distance planned was 15.5 miles on day one, 27.1 miles or more on day two and 24 miles or less on day three for a total of 66.6 miles.
- Water always at minimum
- Difficult of “A-C” in all sections.
- Scenery mostly “A” in all sections.
- Width ranging from 125 feet to 175 feet.
The flow in the river below Roanoke Rapids Lake is regulated by a hydroelectric project. Flows are usually 2,000 – 14,000 cfs but can go as high as 20,000 cfs. From April 1 – June 15 the flow is regulated for rockfish coming from the ocean to spawn in the fresh water. During this season the target flows are 5,300 -8,500 but can range from 4,000 to 13,700. When we put in the flow was 4,850 cfs.
Over 20 unique riverside camping platforms are a signature component of the Roanoke River Trail from Weldon, Hamilton, Williamston, Jamesville and Plymouth and on to the Albemarle Sound. Many long stretches of the Roanoke are without usable shoreline camp spots so the platforms are a valuable resource. All sites can be accessed by water. Some campsites can also be accessed by vehicle. We booked the Tillery Platform ($35 for 3 people) which is 15.5 paddling miles from the put-in spot in Weldon.
March 29, 2025
We had complicated car logistics for the trip. Rich and I live in Chapel Hill. The canoe was on top of my car and the kayak on top of Rich’s car. John would be driving from Charleston and would meet us at the takeout spot in Hamilton. Rich and I caravanned from Chapel Hill and stopped at the put-in in Weldon first. We scoped things out, dropped off most of our gear and then Rich drove to Halifax, midway between Weldon and Halifax, to charge his electric car. I drove to the Tillery Platform to potentially drop off our remaining gear to make the first day of paddling lighter. The directions to the Tillery Platform had these details: “This site is accessible by land with a sturdy vehicle (driving beside fields which can be muddy at times, so a 4WD could be helpful) or by boat. Take a left on the dirt road leading to the house but continue past the house through the field .” I have a small electric car with very little clearance which I don’t think qualifies as a “sturdy vehicle.”
In the far upper left, you can see my car and how far away I had to park so I didn’t get stuck. After three trips, I unloaded our gear into the shelter. I then drove to Hamilton where I met up with John and Rich. We then drove in John’s van to Weldon. The folks at the Weldon Distillery were nice to allow John to park his van there for two nights with the understanding that we would tour their gift shop on the way out of town.
From PENC: “Striped bass fishing season, March 15–April 30, in the upper Roanoke brings many fishermen to Weldon Falls.”
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and the Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) continuously monitor striped bass populations through spawning ground surveys, tagging programs, and catch reports. Declining striped bass populations have led to a temporary halting of rockfish harvesting while restocking efforts are underway. I’ve fished there using a local guide for the last five years but in 2024 and 2025 fish caught were released.
The steps to Tillery platform were easy to spot. We knew the riverbank was going to be steep, but we hadn’t thought about what we were going to do with our canoe and kayak. Fortunately, there is a small creek downstream right of the platform where we were able to tie up the canoe and kayak. The riverbank is steep but there were well-built stairs leading to the bluff.
The screened platform was very comfortable and this was one of the few times I have slept by a river without having to put up a tent. There was a unisex privy close by.
March 30
We got an early start on Day 2 since we knew we would have to paddle at least 27 miles to the first possible camping area. We came across Odom Boat Ramp, a new access about 5 miles downstream from Tillery Platform. It is not in Paul’s book but this new information did not impact our travel plans.
Around noon, after 13 miles of paddling we took a lunch break at Edwards Ferry Access. There are a couple of historial markers near the boat landing. In 1863 a Confederate contract to build an ironclad ram was granted to a nineteen-year-old North Carolina soldier named Gilbert Elliott who would oversee the bulk of its construction in a cornfield in Halifax County. The ship, later named the Albemarle, was intended to operate on the waters of Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. Elliott began building the Albemarle at Tillery’s Farm, seven miles below Halifax on the Roanoke River. He moved the operation downstream to Edwards Ferry in March 1863. There, on the property of Peter E. Smith, a shipyard was built in a cornfield by the river. While Smith brought in or built the equipment needed, Elliot combed the state for iron, collecting old railroad iron, broken boilers, and even buckets of bolts. Regarding the difficulties in completing the ship, Elliott wrote “No vessel was ever constructed under more adverse circumstances.”
In March 1864, after about a year at what became known as the Edwards Ferry Shipyard, the Albemarle was launched about two miles downriver to Hamilton. Completed, the ship was 152 feet long, 45 feet wide, with a draft of eight feet. Although the eighteen-foot ram was the Albemarle’s primary weapon, the vessel was also outfitted with six gunports and two rotating eight-inch Brooke rifled guns. The ram, moored at Plymouth, was a threat to Union forces in eastern North Carolina. Lieutenant William B. Cushing was dispatched to North Carolina with orders to destroy the Albemarle. On October 27, 1864, Cushing torpedoed the ram from a small launch in the river, clearing the way for Union forces to recapture Plymouth and subsequently the entire sound region. Near the end of the war the Albemarle was raised, towed to Norfolk, and sold at public auction.
In Paul’s book he warns not to pick up hitchhikers in this area of the river since Caledonia State Prison Farm and Odom State Prison Farm are located nearby. Fortunately we did not run across any hitchhikers.
We continued to paddle hard since we knew we had 15+ miles to cover in the afternoon. Along the riverbank I spotted what appeared to be ancient hieroglyphics, but we didn’t have time to investigate further so it will also be a mystery to us.
At the 28-mile mark we reached the Urquhart Tract of the Roanoke River Wetlands Gamelands. Paul says for the next four miles, camping is “allowed” on the right bank within 100 yards of the river. We kept paddling and scoured the riverbank for anything that might resemble a camping spot. The riverbank was very steep and the vegetation extremely thick. We didn’t spot anything that was remotely possible for camping. At the 30-mile mark we spotted a possible site. We stopped and climbed a very steep bank to scout. The spot looked like a party spot for teenagers, with lots of trash, abandoned furniture and a few “No Trespassing!” signs. From the placement of the signs we could not tell if they were to warn people about the riverbank or the private property further from the river. We had a bad feeling about the spot so we climbed back down the riverbank and paddled off.
We paddled another tenth of a mile to the Lewiston-Woodville Boat Access. It was starting to get late and we had paddled 30.1 miles. We calculated that we had less than a mile left of the Urquhart Tract of the Roanoke River Wetlands Gamelands to find possible camping sites. The previous three miles had shown us little. It was clear camping was not encouraged at the access. There is a big public fishing pier along river and there were a handful of fishermen and some occasional boats coming and going. Paddling further came with big risks. If we didn’t find any camping spots in the next mile of the river we would have to turn around and paddle back upstream to the access.
We decided the most prudent thing to do would be to camp at the access and hope we wouldn’t get hassled by the locals. We pitched out tents and had a quick dinner. The long day of paddling had been exhausting. The night was quiet, and we were not disturbed by any other users of the access.
March 31
In the morning, we awoke to the sound of heavy machinery operating nearby. I walked around the access and stumbled across this sign.
At first, I was concerned that we were near some miliary installation, and there might be land mines to be worried about. I checked my phone and found out it was a local sand and gravel mine.
We got on the river early since we had 21 miles to go to get to Hamilton. The river was calm and wide with very little current.
We came across a very different looking riverbank with what appeared to be lots of shells. We paddled over to investigate further, and John got out of the canoe and picked up samples, among them a giant scallop shell.
As we paddled along, I got to wondering if there was such a thing as a freshwater scallop. If not, then what was a large scallop shell doing on the banks of the Roanoke River. A large seafaring bird didn’t drop it there. When I got home, I did some research. Chesapecten jeffersonius is the fossilized form of an extinct scallop, which lived in the early Pliocene epoch between four and five million years ago on Virginia’s coastal plain. Chesapecten jeffersonius are commonly found in strata exposed along Coastal Plain cliffs along major rivers in southeastern Virginia and eastern North Carolina, and it is the index fossil for the Lower Yorktown Formation. It is the state fossil of Virginia. John had picked up a fossilized shell that was 4-5 million years old.
Up until that point I had experienced very little luck in the fishing department. Oe of my trips goals is always to try to have one trip meal consist of freshly caught fish. We passed under a bridge and my fortunes changed. We came across a big school of shad and I boated a nice one. It was quickly released since shad are very bony and oily and not considered a dietary delicacy.
We came across our first nice sandbar where we stopped for lunch. Whenever there is a break in paddling I can usually be found wetting my fishing line. I caught a number of Alabama bass along the sandbar. One went home with us for lunch the next day. When cleaning the bass I noticed it had swallowed a whole shad minnow.
Alabama bass are an invasive species in the Roanoke River and other North Carolina waterways, posing a threat to native black bass populations. They were first detected in the river in October 2024. These bass, which are native to the Mobile River basin, readily hybridize with smallmouth and spotted bass, potentially leading to the displacement of these native species. NCWRC is urging the public to help prevent the spread of Alabama bass by not moving them to new waters and harvesting as many as possible in infested areas.
We made it to Hamilton Boat Access around 3:45 after having paddled 21 miles for the day.
Summary
We paddled 66.6 miles over 3 days. The Roanoke River is wide and has very little current and is therefore susceptible to the prevailing winds. Camping at a platform site is a unique experience. We had a great time but I would not recommend this trip itinerary to other paddlers. Very few paddlers will find a 30 mile day to be relaxing or enjoyable. If you paddle this section of the Roanoke consider breaking the trip up into shorter segments than what we did.
Trip Information and Resources
Roanoke River Partners https://roanokeriverpartners.org/
Roanoke River State Trail https://trails.nc.gov/state-trails/roanoke-river-state-trail
Paddling Eastern North Carolina by Paul Ferguson, Pocosin Press, 3rd Edition 2018, pp. 425-436
