This is a fantastic trip to quickly and easily get out on the water. Float past wooded banks, rocky shoals, and under historic train trestles. Both access points are well developed parks with plenty of amenities. 

This is a quick trip with an easy shuttle starting and ending at well-developed parks, where you can combine your paddling with another outdoor experience, like hiking or bicycling. A few shoals and islands along the way add a little adventure to a beautiful leisurely float. 

You will also float through history as you pass Nation Ford, named for the Catawba Nation, a shelf of granite that provided safe crossing by Native Americans, early traders, and soldiers during the American Revolution and the Civil War. You will also cross an original Native American fish weir, one of only a few remaining intact in the country. Stones were placed across the river channel to form a 'double-v' shape that funneled water - and fish - into traps at the outlets. 

To complete a longer trip, River Park makes a nice spot to take out if you put in below the Lake Wylie Dam (6.4 miles) or a nice spot to put in if you want to make a long paddle down to Landsford Canal Park (18.4 miles).