Week of Rivers (aka WOR)!
(There’s a lot of great information here; first-timers and old-timers alike are encouraged to read)
Week of Rivers is the Carolina Canoe Club’s flagship annual whitewater paddling event, and winner of the ACA 2019 Sanctioned Event of the Year. Each year around the 4th of July, much of the CCC’s membership converges on the Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground in Bryson City, NC for 9 days of paddling fun, evening activities, and camping. Bryson City is nestled in the western corner of North Carolina, right in the heart of whitewater heaven, the Nantahala River Gorge. Though not a comprehensive list, nearby rivers include the Nantahala, Tellico, Tuckasegee, French Broad, and Ocoee. Rivers farther away include the Nolichucky, Chattooga and the Little (TN).
Week of Rivers occurs on the week that includes July 4th. When July 4th falls on a Saturday, Week of Rivers will start on the preceding Saturday (June 27th). When July 4th falls on a Sunday, Week of Rivers will start on Saturday, July 3rd.
NOTE: You MUST be a PAID member of the Carolina Canoe Club to participate in WOR. (Check the status of your membership or Join the Carolina Canoe Club!)
WOR 2025 Guide
To keep up with activities on the schedule specific to 2025, check out our WOR 2025 Guide!
The Morning Meeting and the River Board
Daily paddling trips to the regional rivers are loosely organized at the morning meeting, held each morning at 8:30 under the Smoky Mountain Meadows Pavilion. Members volunteer to coordinate trips for a variety of skill levels skill levels: Expert, Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginner / Novice. You can’t sign up for the daily paddling trips–just show up! There will be a big board with river levels listed at the meeting:
River board rivers sorted by difficulty (courtesy of Larry Ausley, please read the fine print in the spreadsheet) and a classic view of the CCC morning meeting.
Folks interested in coordinating trips for that day will assess current river levels and volunteer to coordinate a trip. If you are an experienced paddler, raise your hand to coordinate a river trip and your name will be entered in a raffle to win fabulous prizes donated by WOR supporters. Sometimes trips depart before the morning meeting. If you are interested in coordinating or participating in an Early Departure trip, check out the ED Board every day.
Signs with the river names / sections will be posted around the perimeter of the meeting tent. You can find the difficulties of individual rivers on the list of typical WOR destination rivers and on the river board.
When a trip that interests you is announced, congregate around the colored river sign corresponding to that trip. Trip coordinators will restate the skill level for the trip and will ask you your skill level. To ensure you have a fun and safe day, assess your own abilities honestly and objectively and provide the trip coordinator with the following information:
- Your skill level
- The rivers you’ve paddled comfortably
- Your pool roll stats (i.e., I successfully roll up in the pool x out of y times)
- Whether you do or do not have a combat roll (“having a combat roll” means you can reliably roll up when flipped unexpectedly in moving water)
- Advise of any health conditions you may have that could be of significance on the river and impact how the group could assist in an emergency (e.g. diabetes, allergies).
Trip coordinators can (and should) limit trip sizes to reasonable levels. If you can’t find a trip with room, coordinate your own!
Clinics
There are clinics and workshops offered during the week, some of which require pre-registration. Clinics information is posted to the calendar as it develops. Expect a mix with a Novice Kayak Clinic early in the week, Rolling throughout the week, Playboating, Falls clinics, etc. Registration generally opens for these around Memorial Day, but varies.
Beginner Mentors
Beginner mentors are designated each day of WOR though most CCC members will bend over backwards to help fellow members, whether they are designated the beginner mentor for that day or not.
Activities for non-paddlers
Perhaps you are tired and need a paddling break, you can join a group for a hike or other non-paddling activities. The Fourth of July brings its own fun too! Optional evening activities (i.e., live music, conservation speakers, paddling movies, slide shows) are scheduled for a few of the evenings or you can just hang out around the campfire and enjoy the company of your fellow paddlers.
If you are looking to buy or sell used boating or camping gear, you may participate in the Used Gear Swap and Sale at WOR.
Planning for WOR
It’s not necessary to come for the whole 9 days. You need only secure a campsite at Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground in Bryson City for the days you’ll attend. The campsites open the previous summer and prime spots (defined as those spots with shade not in the “big field”) are snatched up quickly. Field sites are plentiful and don’t require a reservation (just bring your own source of shade).
SMMC has limited individual campsites available for reservation (PDF) for members. Like all WOR activities, membership is required.
Not staying at Smoky Mountain Meadows?
Though logistically easier, it isn’t required for you to stay at Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground to participate in WOR activities. You can camp or lodge elsewhere and still come to Smoky Mountain Meadows for WOR activities each day. Be advised, however, that SMM requires non-registered guests to obtain a SMM parking sticker for their vehicle to be brought onto the premises. For the cost of $2 per day or $10 for the entire WOR event, CCC members can park their car onsite while they partcipate in Week of Rivers events. This is a small cost considering the services SMM is providing everyone — campers and non-campers alike! If you would like to check out other local campground alternatives, go to the Travel Guide Page.
(Do not expect people to coordinate for you if you are off-site. Show up to the morning meetings).
Other useful WOR info
Be sure to check out the WOR Tips and River Lunches while you’re here for some very helpful information!
Doggie daycare and kennel services are available in the area. Dogs should not be left unattended.
Popular restaurants among members during WOR *It is good to double check Google maps etc to be sure of hours or location changes. If you find any other hidden gems, please let us know!
A number of local vendors (including ERA and NOC) provide member discounts for CCC members at WOR. Your name must be in your Member profile (hard to put your name on the list otherwise!). Select the My Account link to check your Profile.
NOTE: You MUST be a PAID member of the Carolina Canoe Club to participate in WOR. (Check your membership status or Join the Carolina Canoe Club!)
Determining your Target Rivers for WOR (and beyond)
Getting to know the River Board rivers and their corresponding skill levels (River Board Rivers sorted by difficulty) in advance of WOR and reading up on each river’s characteristics at American Whitewater’s website (NC Rivers with flows above minimum, courtesy of American Whitewater) will help paddlers set ‘target’ rivers that are within their ability. Note that most rivers on the river board are natural-flow dependent and thus may or may not be at levels that are suitable for paddling. It tends to be feast or famine so one should be familiar with the dam-release schedules as a backup plan (Nantahala, Hiwassee, Tuckaseegee, Green, Pigeon, Ocoee). Watching gauges (Gauge Page, courtesy of Tucker Willenborg) and weather forecasts a few days in advance of WOR can help place context on what the week may be like.
WOR Target River List features a brief description of many WOR rivers and includes a map and links to each river’s AW site.
There are many links for current water level information.
Additional tips for beginners:
- Sign up for the Beginner clinic in advance of WOR, usually held on a weekend in early June at Turkey Creek Campground in Almond, NC (Almond is near Bryson City, where WOR is held). This will give you an opportunity to get a taste of the Bryson City area rivers before WOR and you’ll meet many others at your skill level. These folks will then be familiar faces at WOR.
- Attend as many pool sessions as you can between now and then (Roll Sessions). There are usually experienced boaters there who will often help you with strokes and roll techniques. In the summer time, folks also meet at Jordan Lake on Wednesday evenings.
- The Swiftwater Rescue Clinic offered by the CCC is highly recommended (see the CCC Online Trip list for details). You will learn what to do and what NOT to do if and when you come out of your boat. You don’t need a roll for this class.
Share the Memories!
If you’ve got great photos or videos from WOR, please share them with us on our CCC Facebook page or our CCC Instragram account! Tag us @carolinacanoeclub and use #weekofrivers
For more information, contact the CCC Cruise Chair at cruise.chair@carolinacanoeclub.org
See you on the river!!