Green River Narrows Race: The Best, Muddiest Glamping Weekend Ever.
Are you ready to hike in to watch the world’s largest extreme kayak race in Saluda, NC? Get ready for intense white water paddling, camping, live music, bonfires, and peak leaf season. What more could you ask for?!
This post contains affiliate links. As always, all photographs are copyrighted Reese Moore Photography unless otherwise stated and cannot be used without express permission. Due to the epic rain, this post also contains cell phone pictures.
The campground at the NRS Green River Race in Saluda, NC
Discovering the NRS Green River Narrows Race
My husband and I first discovered the NRS Green River Narrows Race when it was screened at a popular brewery in Asheville. We were standing in line for a beer when we watched a white water kayaker capsize and shoot down a small waterfall upside down.
"My God, did we just watch someone die?" I gasped to my husband. Fortunately, at that exact second, the paddler righted himself to a round of applause and kept careening through the rapids.
I was shook. I knew we had to witness this madness in person.
What is the NRS Green River Narrows Race?
The NRS Green River Narrows Race is the largest extreme kayak race in the world. Every year, more than 170 crazy people in kayaks gather and launch themselves down an insane, very rocky stretch of white water in front of more than 2,000 spectators - who have to hike down a very steep pass to get out there after camping out and partying the night before.
In the very apt words of the race organizers, "The Green River Narrows Race is the largest extreme kayak race in the world. This iconic kayak race has drawn spectators and racers from around the world, humbled Olympic medalists, and been featured on major networks such as CNN. From innovating new boat designs to bringing together one of the largest kayaking communities-this is the Super Bowl of kayaking."
It is awesome.
Our Experience Attending the NRS Green River Narrows Race
This year was our second time at NRS Green River Narrows Race. We attended the Pre-party, hiked down to watch the race in person, and attended After Party. It was a blast, and we learned a lot.
Admittedly, we didn't entirely know what we were getting ourselves into that first year, and as relatively adventurous people who regularly hike, travel, and van-camp, we figured this experience wouldn't be far outside of our wheelhouse. You'll probably find our experience informative if you're considering attending the festival and race for the first time.
First, buy your tickets well in advance for the parties and campground, and remember to download or screen capture them. You likely won’t have service at the campground.
First of all, you'll never meet a cooler, more welcoming, more chill, and awesome group of people. We were blown away by how friendly and welcoming everyone was, from literally bringing us chairs from their campsites without us asking and sharing their beers with us as complete strangers.
This is important because these people are packed into the campsite like a bunch of paddle-wielding sardines, you’ll be hiking down a really steep trail shoulder-to-shoulder with them, and the party may get a little rowdy by the end. We did witness a naked man running through the mud with a flaming toilet paper "tail" streaming from his butt last year. And yes, that's flaming as in… En fuego. On fire. Alight. Combusting into ash. But I digress.
The campsite is a sprawling grassy lawn tightly packed with tents, trucks, and campers, a central green with a stage, and giant bonfire flanked with various specialty outdoor gear vendors. It's basically an REI catalog come to life, and I write that as a glowing accolade. If you are outdoorsy, young, fit, and down for an adventure, this is your spot. You'll leave happy, tired, probably muddy, and with a set of new friends.
However, if you're 37 years old, a light sleeper, and/or traveling with a dog that doesn't like other dogs, OR if the idea of a naked man sprinting by your sleeping bag with a trailing, fiery tail of toilet paper fluttering from his ass gives you pause, I highly, highly recommend booking a glamping tent at the Wilderness Cove Campground across the street. (Literally, it's about a one-minute walk, and you can enjoy the live music at a comfortable and non-sleep-prohibitive volume.)
We went for the Double Glamping Tent because our friends were traveling with us, and it was amazing. The tents are clean, the beds are comfortable, the shared common area made for an amazing breakfast and hangout spot, and we had electrical outlets and a bathhouse instead of a portapotty. Best of all, since it rained all weekend last year, our campground did not disintegrate into a giant mud pit.
Gear We Loved or Wish We’d Brought:
North Face Lightweight Rain Parka
Super Lightweight, Compact Nomadix Towels
Small Propane Fire Pit (We used this under the covered deck all weekend as it was too rainy to make a wood fire in the pit provided.)
I want to take a moment for the absolutely biblical state of the mud for the main campground last year. More than 2,000 people driving, walking, and playing frisbee in the pouring rain will put a serious hurt on even the best lawn. The mud was several inches deep in the main entry and exit paths of the grounds by the end, and probably filled with long-lost flip-flops. This did not detract from the fun in the slightest, and we saw a number of people slogging along barefoot anyway. Still, it's relevant to my next point:
You really need to pack for all weather. We knew it might rain some, but we gravely underestimated how much it would rain and what we needed to bring. I would have killed for a waterproof or dry pair of shoes by the end, but we had an absolute blast anyway. We were definitely happy we got to casually wave goodbye to our glamping tent versus packing up a mud-encrusted setup into our van.
This year, the weather was gorgeous, but it got really cold - down to 38 degrees - at night. So, we were really grateful for our layers and some extra firewood.
And, if you're glamping, you should still plan to bring all your basic camping essentials like water bottles, parkas, camp chairs for the bonfire, a backpack, and most importantly, snacks. You're still going to want to hang out at the festival.
Now, let’s take a moment for the hike: you’ll want to leave a little early so you don’t have to park a mile away. We left around 9:45, and we still found a decent parking spot. There’s a porta-potty at the top of the hike, and I do advise that you use it. With the number of spectators, it can be a little challenging to find a private spot in the woods to pee. While there’s an unofficial and much-used “pee-cave,” it is within clear sightlines of all the spectators.
The hike itself is pretty smooth until you hit the steep descent to the gorge. There are guide ropes to hang onto as you hike up and down, but you definitely want to wear hiking or trail running shoes. As I mentioned, we live in the mountains and are no strangers to hiking, but this is not a great trail for someone who hasn’t spent a lot of time in the woods… ie. if you think Crocs are hiking shoes, this hike is not for you.
You should also expect the hike in and out to be pretty crowded, so plan your arrival and departure times accordingly and be patient with your fellow spectators.
The festival party had two delicious food trucks, but you'll want to bring snacks, water, bug repellent, sunscreen, etc, for your hike, which will be steep, so pack appropriate footwear. And, if you have any special dietary requirements, you'll want to come prepared with provisions. Our pescatarian and dairy-free friend almost had to live on french fries, which doesn't sound entirely terrible but isn't ideal for everyone.
It's also worth mentioning that the road down to the campground is one of the steepest and curviest roads we've ever taken, and we live in the mountains. So if you're new to mountain driving, allow a little extra time and plan to take the drive during the daylight hours.
Last but not least, I was also hella relieved we didn't stay at the main campground because we were traveling with our dog. He's sweet and so affectionate with people, but he's not dog-friendly and none of the pups were on leashes. It was something we didn't think about at all before booking, so it was a big relief that we could leave him safely at our campsite across the road.
So, to wrap up… if you dig festivals with kind, happy people, extreme kayaking, camping, live music, or if the idea of drinking morning coffee from your glamping tent amidst the changing leaves, mark your calendar for next year's NRS Green River Narrows Race. We'll see you - and maybe the flaming toilet paper guy - there!
Have you been to the NRS Green River Narrows Race? What are your favorite memories and travel tips? Drop 'em in the comments below.
