In North Carolina there is a trail for everyone, making NC the Great Trails State, and the Dan River is one of 14 state trails in North Carolina. These are longer trails — some hiking, some paddling, some both (and one equestrian) — that date back to the 1970s. You’ve likely heard of one, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, you may not have heard of the others. Each trail has a partner responsible for the trail’s development. Here’s a quick synopsis of the trails, including its partner and its current accessibility.The Dan River State Trail is a 90-mile paddle trail (authorized as a state trail in 2021) in Surry, Stokes, and Rockingham counties. The Dan River crosses the North Carolina and Virginia border eight times on its 214-mile journey from the Blue Ridge Mountains to Kerr Lake. Visitors come from out of state, all over North Carolina, and across the triad to visit and recreate on the Dan River. Do you like rivers with excitement? You’ll find stretches of frisky whitewater upstream near Hanging Rock State Park. More of a placid-water paddler? You’ll be happier paddling downstream in Rockingham County. There are 9 river access points along the Dan River in Rockingham County (a total of 16 throughout the three counties), with the goal of having an access every 5 to 10 miles.
The fish at the center of the Dan River State Trail is the logperch, a federally endangered species that is found in the Dan River. Adult logperch typically inhabit medium- to large-sized warm, clear streams and occupy riffles, runs, and pools containing sand, gravel, or boulders. They utilize their snouts to overturn gravel to forage on benthic aquatic macroinvertebrates. This fish is just one of the many reasons to protect the Dan River and its tributaries.
