Location:
From NC 14 at the Dan River turn west on
Harrington Highway (toward NC 87, 135, & 770) Go
1/2 mile. Turn right on Bethleham Church Road
(SR 2039) The NC Wildlife Access is 1/2 mile on
right.Description:
There are no public access sites between the
Boat Landing (Wildlife Access) and Danville, Va.
A half mile bellow the put in is the double
arched Mebane's Bridge (1924), which was the
object of a contract suit that is widely studied
in law schools today. Two miles past the put in
is the Duke Power steam plant dam. The portage
trail is on the right side opposite the steam
plant. Just below the dam is the area where
Lower Sauratown Indian village was.
Some Class I
rapids are located three miles further down at
the NC 700 Bridge. From the NC 700 Bridge to the
North Carolina-Virginia border the river passes
through a highly scenic wilderness area. Several
of the tributary streams feature Triassic
conglomerate formations nearly 200 million years
old.
The river features Class I and II shoals
and rapids with picturesque names--Widemouth,
Beasley's Gallows, Tanyard, and Devil's Jump.
Navigation structures built in the 1880s and
prehistoric fish dams are scattered through this
section.
The Berry Hill-State Line Bridge is
about 6 miles below NC 700, and Danville is
another 17 miles downstream. |
