The islands and water of Lake James were not exactly the Caribbean, but I would highly recommend it as an alternative. The list below shows all the kayak brands that have been reviewed by our editors and community members. Working up toward this trip we concentrated on paddling technique and self-rescues, although neither is really needed for this very simple trip. Lake James also has many Boat Marinas, like the Bear Creek Marina and docking areas for houseboats on Lake James and Luxury Yachts. Duke Power has a 24-hour public use boat ramp where highway 126 crosses Lake James so we settled on putting in there. We hiked around the forest a bit that afternoon before making a camp-fire (they are allowed within the Pisgah National Forest, but check local laws first!) Walleye are few and between but they are there. This was good advice since most campsites were already taken when we arrived. Although that may have been due to the holiday weekend, the ranger recommended arriving by 2 or 3 pm to ensure we would get a campsite. Daily or long term rentals--the newest, nicest and fastest pontoons on the lake. Fun on the water Some of the nation's finest waters flow through and past North Carolina's state parks - pristine rivers, stunning lakes, coastal wetlands and the Atlantic Ocean. Planning on visiting Lake James this summer? We also noticed that someone had left a sturdy picnic table from an earlier trip. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; We paddled up the main portion of the lake heading toward the north-north west and saw many areas that would be good for boat-in camping; several were in use. We loaded up the car on Saturday morning (a Honda CRX with two touring kayaks on the roof - quite a sight!) ( Log Out /  The local eateries also provide some incredible 5-Star meals, everything from homemade country cooking to the European influenced tastes of Ireland, Scotland, Germany and England. As long as you're cool with it, so are we—just remember to stay under the weight limit and a try to not ruin the board. Turn right on Bridgewater Road and travel 1.2 miles. We continued padding to several small islands but found each one had been taken. Lake james. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The Linville River, which flows through the very rugged and scenic Linville Gorge, empties into Lake James. guest-paddler, A self-supported trip created by We loaded up the car on Saturday morning (a Honda CRX with two touring kayaks on the roof - quite a sight!) Additionally I printed topo maps of the area from Delorme Topo 4.0. by  I had wanted to put in on the south side of the lake at Lake James State Park, but a call the previous day had confirmed that parking in the park overnight is prohibited. Walleye are few and between but they are there. Lake James has several marinas, and public boat launches. Lake James Neighborhood Store; Store Services; Rent a Boat. eating a quick dinner and turning in early. Skip to content. You become what you believe. ( Log Out /  Both of us are new to kayaking and have only had our kayaks for a couple of months. Just headed to Lake James for the day? Luckily the wind was blowing in the direction we were going. To our surprise just about all of the land around the lake is part of the state park and is posted with no swimming, camping or picnicking signs. This is a trip report for an overnight kayak and camping trip to Lake James in North Carolina. When the lakers are off the water. I have always wanted to kayak in the Caribbean islands so when I heard that Lake James had several small and large islands, I decided that it might be the next best thing. Tent Camp Sites - $12/night + $2 for all the split wood you can burn. They're made rom durable, blow-molded plastic, which means they can bang up against a dock and you don't have to worry about dings. Additionally it makes gathering fire-wood an easy chore since there is so much driftwood on the shore. The Linville River, which flows through the very rugged and scenic Linville Gorge, empties into Lake James. After a total of about 5 miles (according to our GPS track) we settled on a nice sandy beach camp-site that had previously been used. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Contact Us Our Lake James paddleboard delivery service is the easiest, fastest, and most convenient way to paddleboard at Lake James. Cape Horn 17' and Cape Horn 14' and many Seal Line Dry Bags! We quickly set up camp and enjoyed a swim in our cove, which had a sandy bottom. Menu & Widgets Kayaking Alley. I marked my Backwater Assault Paddle (23" OAL) that I keep tucked beside my seat. Tom had fun in the smaller kayak taking many waves over the bow and lots of water in the cockpit. Keep tabs on all the latest from YakAngler. We have been hiking and camping all over the Carolinas but this would be our first trip with our kayaks. Directions to Lake James State Park: Lake James State Park is located in Burke and McDowell counties five miles northeast of Marion on NC 126. COME HANG OUT WITH BIG HEN AND ERIC! James Island State Park is a secluded island off the western coast of Decatur Island. We first spent some time in the pool, which didn’t last very long because of how cold the water was. After squeezing all our dry bags and various other equipment into our kayaks (a Cape Horn 17' for me, a Cape Horn 14' for my girlfriend) we shoved off on a brilliant, blue-sky morning for our short paddle to our destination. //-->, By visiting this Site you agree to be bound by the following Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. //