The “Amazon of North Carolina” runs nearly 215 miles through scenic wilderness beginning in Roanoke Rapids and meandering through Albermarle Sound. From historically providing Indigenous peoples in the region food, transportation and recreation to the remote river offering shelter for freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad, the Roanoke River is now North Carolina’s newest State Trail.
Roanoke River State Trail became the first North Carolina state paddle trail to be fully designated as a State Trail, announced by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. The trail was authorized by the General Assembly in 2021 and includes 15 designated access points throughout its 215 miles.
The Roanoke River State Trail offers wildlife, solitude, and raised camping platforms throughout the trail.
Perhaps the most enticing part of the trail for paddlers is the paddle-in camping platforms along the river. These platforms allow camping access in areas that are traditionally extremely difficult and uncomfortable to camp in, such as cypress swamps. Reservations are required to use these campsites.
“My first experience on the river was around the age of 12 when we were fishing,” shared Herbert Coltrain, a river guide in a PBS North Carolina documentary on the Roanoke River Paddle Trail. “The thing about the river that appeals to me most is the peace and the quiet and the solitude that a person can experience.”
The new State Trail winds through the northern Coastal Plain, and some of the most undisturbed bottomland hardwood forest in the mid-Atlantic. Wildlife along the Roanoke River includes bears, beavers, river otters, white-tailed deer, bobcats and a large variety of species of birds, and bald cypress swamps.
The managing partner for the RRST is the Roanoke River Partners, Inc (RRP), which manages and operates the 20 paddle-in camping platforms along the river. State trails within the North Carolina state parks system include multiple sections, each section sponsored by a state or local government agency or nonprofit organization or private landowner.
“We are thrilled to share this historic achievement in partnership with the NC State Trails program.” shared Charlotte Griffin, mayor of Bear Grass, North Carolina. “The importance of this declaration to eastern North Carolina and the entire Roanoke River region cannot be overstated.”
