This is not a new section of river. It has always been there, it just seems new. For years this was my favorite section of river. You could take out on a forest service road in what was referred to as the "Uwharrie Reservation". I don't know where that name came from. It is not an Indian reservation. Uwharrie isn't even an Indian name. Anyway, the road was closed 15 years ago because the Forest Service was unable to keep people off the adjacent private properties. Without that take out spot, the next available take out was Morrow Mountain State Park which required a long long shuttle. Thus this section saw very little traffic.
During 2010 the Land Trust for Central NC purchased the Capel Property at the mouth of the Uwharrie. This tract has remained undeveloped while land all around it is crowded with both riverside and lakeside homes. I was told there was now canoe access at the mouth of the Uwharrie. Thrilled, I headed out with John, my top Uwharrie River companion. We drove to the area and searched around, finally finding a gate with a conservation easement sign. Here it must be we thought. And there was the river a short way down the wood road blocked by the gate. We dropped his truck and made our way back the Rt 109 bridge to begin our float.
The photo above is just downriver a bit from the bridge on river right. It is a cabin perched on two stone buttresses which I assume to be the old Rt 109 bridge. Near here there is an abandoned river level gauge which read 2.2 feet.
Here I am at our lunch stop. At this point the river splits into 3 channels. It appears all 3 are clear and can be paddled. We choose the central course as it seemed to have the most water. We stopped at this nice gravel bar next to some fast flowing water. just beyond here the river cuts through some mountains and river left is a series of almost vertical cliffs coming to the water's edge. We estimated these rose up 50 feet or more.
Just beyond the bend in the above photo, there is a cove out of river's flow, with towering walls on 3 sides. It is nice spot to stop and take in the scene.
Continuing downriver on river right is a hillside littered with quartz boulders. They may not be visible other times during the year but are very apparent now. Just beyond here is the biggest drop on this section. This rapid approaches a class 2 and looks to be best paddles on river left paying close attention to a strainer just below.
Our little adventure continues. As we approach the mouth of the river we see a conservation easement sign where Dutchman's Creek enters. I got out and walked up this gravel drive. It went on and on so that was not the spot we were seeking. We paddled on and could see the mouth of the river. Homes lined river right but there was no sign of the spot where we left the truck. John asked a passing pontoon boat and they had no clue. We paddled on and the pontoon boat, now a bit upriver from us, shouted back about an inlet off the lake. maybe that was our spot. We paddled to the mouth, could see Morrow Mountain canoe access on the opposite side of Lake Tillery but still no truck. We paddled into the lake and then saw an island, slipping in beside it, we found the inlet and sure enough that was spot we sought.
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