Lake James Camping and Paddling Adventure (NC)
The guidebook contains hyper-specific details about Lake James camping, including our favorite boat-in campsites, tips, recommendations, paddling itineraries, and resources for planning your next North Carolina paddling trip. We’ve compiled everything you need to know in one place to save you hours of research so you can spend more time on adventures and less time on your computer.
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Lake James
Lake James is the largest waterfront park in North Carolina. Miles of shoreline hide soft sand beaches with views of Linville Gorge and Table Rock Mountain peeking above the treeline. An overnight adventure on Lake James gives you access to beaches and mountains all in one place. Lake James is one of our favorite dog-friendly, entry-level overnight paddling adventures in North Carolina. Grab your dog, your friends, and a paddleboard, canoe, kayak, or boat and escape on an accessible overnight paddling trip to a beach in the mountains.
Lake James State Park is six curvy miles off of I-40 and only a 45-minute drive from Asheville, NC. Lake James State Park is also less than 2 hours from Greenville, SC, Charlotte, NC, and Greensboro, NC.
Lake James Boat-in and Paddle-in Camping
There are three campgrounds at Lake James State Park. Catawba Creek campground and Paddy’s Creek campground are the most popular options, but the boat-in and paddle-in campsites at Long Arm Branch are where the adventures happen. The Long Arm Branch campsites are less than 2 miles from the Paddy’s Creek swim area and are also one of the least expensive ways to camp on a lake in North Carolina. Sure, it is a little more work to paddle to your campsite, but that is part of the fun. The Lake James campsites are well-maintained with level tent pads, gravel paths, picnic tables, and vault toilets.
Paddle camping has many benefits, but perhaps one of the best things about traveling by boat to your campsite is that it is a lot like car camping. You can pack a cooler and a comfy chair into your canoe. Maybe you even want to dust off that old two-burner stove and your cast iron skillet and bring them along. And If you forget something, you’re less than two miles from your car, yet, you feel like you are in the wilderness. You can choose a maximalist or minimalist approach to camping at Lake James. Your ability to customize the experience to meet your needs means that you can convince almost any friend to join you on your next overnight paddling adventure.
Lake James Paddling Adventure Guide Notes Includes:
- A 31-page interactive guidebook about Lake James camping and overnight paddling trips
- Reviews of Lake James paddle-in campsites
- A paddling map of Lake James
- Example itineraries and paddling trip ideas
- Additional adventures ideas near Lake James
- An overview of the natural history and cultural history of Lake James
- Links to resources, maps, and weather information to make planning easier
- Risk management, gear, and packing list information
- Details about permits and camping regulations
- Recommendations, tips, and more
The Lake James Paddling Adventure Guide Notes were made in collaboration with Hellbender Paddleboards of Asheville, NC. Although we’ve been on overnight adventures on Lake James multiple times, Hellbender loaned us a couple of paddleboards for our most recent Lake James adventure. Hellbender is a small company dedicated to building tough paddleboards designed for adventures on the lakes and rivers of Western North Carolina. They stand by their product with one of the best warranties in the businesses, and they support environmentally responsible programs like recycling old paddleboards and donating to conservation organizations. Download the Lake James Adventure Guide Notes and get a discount code for 15% off a Hellbender paddleboard.
