Union Bridge Paddle Access on Greensboro-Chapel Hill Road is the 14th and final Paddle Access in the Alamance County portion of the Haw River Paddle Trail, completing almost 40 miles of Paddle Trail through the County. The Haw River Paddle Trail through Alamance County starts at the Brooks Bridge Paddle Access on the Guilford-Alamance County line and now ends at Union Bridge Paddle Access on the Alamance-Orange County line.
After today, this final access point will be complete! Our staff are busy installing the final steps in the steel staircase framework leading down to the river. This is our steepest access point, requiring the longest staircase yet- the final framework measured in at 26 feet! Once a framework is in place, the final steps can go in when the water level in the river is low enough that it is not covering the bottom of the framework. Staff have been hard at work on this access point but with all the rain we’ve had recently, the river has been high and this final touch was delayed. We’re excited to finish it up!
Union Bridge Paddle Access is designed much like the other HRT Paddle Accesses in Alamance County. It offers a parking area that can accommodate several vehicles, informational kiosks with maps of the paddle trail, and the steel staircase leading down to the river for easy put-in and take-out. This access provides a halfway point between Saxapahaw Mill Race Paddle Access and the 15-501 Paddle Access at Bynum Dam, currently an 11-mile stretch.
The paddle from Saxapahaw Mill Race Paddle Access down to Union Bridge Paddle Access is approximately 5 miles and is recommended as an intermediate section. This is a fun paddle with intermittent rapids and moving water, as well as a few leisurely sections with beautiful views of the river and its wildlife. The minimum recommended USGS gauge level for this section is 2.1 feet at Haw River. To check the USGS gauge and learn more about the Paddle Trail, please visit the HRT website at thehaw.org.
