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Outdoor Sports

Area streams and lakes provide habitat for trout, bass, catfish, blue gill and other native varieties of fish. There are no closed seasons on inland game fishes except in designated Hatchery Supported Trout Waters, where it's closed season from the first day in March through the first Friday in April. A valid NC fishing license is required for all waters, and a Virginia fishing license is acceptable for Parkway waters only.

The four rivers originating in the region flow in completely different directions. The Watauga River flows west through the historic community of Valle Crucis and becomes more turbulent closer to Tennessee.

From headwaters near Blowing Rock, the Yadkin River flows east while the Catawba River meanders south, and flowing north is the New River, which has been designated an American Heritage River, and offers a challenging course for all levels of white water rafters.