On Friday, Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) and partners officially opened the Watauga River Access on 194 in Valle Crucis. BRC staff were joined by officials from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Watauga Tourism Development Authority (TDA), MaryAnn Mueller and Diana Travis, who gifted the majority of the land for the access point, and supporters of the project. This beautiful spot, including 1,300 feet of river frontage located in between the Valle Crucis Community Park and the Watauga Gorge Park, provides parking and recreational opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, tubing, and fishing.

“Blue Ridge Conservancy is committed to creating recreational opportunities and expanding public access, which is getting more and more difficult,” said BRC Director of Land Protection Eric Hiegl at the dedication. “Creating access is so important, and this is for everyone in the community. Thank you to everyone who made this a reality. It takes a lot to make this happen, it takes a lot of partners.”

Travis echoed Hiegl’s statement about the importance of public access: “When you get out there on the river, you want to conserve it. You just fall in love with it and want to protect it all. We hope that having this access will make more people love it too.”

In 2021, Mueller and Travis donated six acres to the project, and the TVA and TDA funded the purchase of the other 2.5 acres. In December of 2023, after initial work was completed at the site, BRC transferred ownership of the land to Watauga County for further infrastructure development and management. This is the second access point on the Watauga River BRC has spearheaded, joining the Guy Ford access on Hwy. 321, which was completed in 2020.

Hiegl went on to thank the Ralph and Amy Church family for selling their family property to create a community space on the river, and Mike Whaley for the design and construction of the informational kiosks. He also recognized Mueller and Travis for their assistance with a second river access and noted that their donation leveraged four times the amount of funds for the purchase and construction of the access. The NC General Assembly appropriated funds for the construction of the parking lot and access ramp, with Deanna Ballard and Rep. Ray Pickett advocating for the project.

“These are the days that the hard work pays off,” stated Rebecca Hayden of the TVA. “The TVA has a 3E mission: Environment, Economic Development, and Energy, and this project covers two of those very well. We are interested in improving the quality of life for residents, and we are proud to be part of this project and look forward to future partnerships.”

“We are proud to be a part of the project, and how tourism lets us invest in the community,” says TDA’s Wright Tilley. “The public lands conversation is so important, to continue to provide access and keep people safe. Being able to connect to the Upper Gorge from here on the Watauga Paddle Trail is great.”

Future plans for the site include a riverbank restoration project to fix erosion issues, which will likely take place over the winter.

For more information about the Watauga Paddle Trail and a map of access points, visit: https://www.exploreboone.com/listing/watauga-river-paddle-trail/2326/

Blue Ridge Conservancy and Watauga County Officially Open Valle Crucis River Access