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Tar River Life

4.9 (35 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Tar River Life Photos

Recommended Reviews - Tar River Life

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The Tar river, just incredible! Only inches from our tent. Most of the tent areas are river side.
Krissy H.

Our Heaven!! We will come again and again. Not easy to find, but once you find it you are lost! If it is a popular holiday weekend, it will be filled with people and a little noisy. Typically good people. We all keep to ourselves. Or are very friendly. If you want quiet, you'll get quiet. This place is hard to find and hard to leave. Because it is so gorgeous!

Our large tent had plenty of room on the camp site.
Ann B.

We stayed one night at the campsite. It was large and semi private. We had plenty of space and all our neighbors were respectful and quiet. The river was muddy looking but looked shallow where we were. We did not float down river. The only negative was that the signage was not helpful. The signs were small and the directions were not clear. We didn't even know where to check in. Apparently it is a container in a lg parking lot with again, no signs. Anyway, the owners were nice and brought us lots of firewood for our fire pit. We enjoyed grilling steaks and making potato pouches for dinner. It was nice to sit around the campfire and catch up. Please be advised that cell service is spotty except for US Cellular so it is difficult to contact anyone when you get there. Overall, it was nice and quiet!

Naima M.

We didnt realize you had to be there at 9:30 for the 10:00am reservation. Luckily my friend lived super close and we got there with the bus waiting for us (thank you so much)!!! They were also so generous to take my bag back up to their office while we tubed because I wasnt fully prepared. This was my first tubing experience and I had a blast!!! The water wasnt moving very fast so it took us about 4.5 hours but I wouldnt have changed a thing. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

had a relaxing and fun time floating down the river in tubes. we got the extra tube to bring our cooler so we had lunch and seltzers to sip on. Travis was working and was such a gem. he really cares about this place and it shows. The water was actually okay despite the color and felt really good! definitely worth the trip!

Kayaks rented from Tar River Life at Robertson Millpond Preserve

Rented a single and two tandem kayaks from Tar River Life at Robertson Millpond Preserve for this morning for us and our three kids. They have rentals on Saturday's during the season this year. You have to reserve in advance. Tar River Life place the kayak on the launch dock for you and give you a push after you are in. We are beginners and made some rookie errors by placing our teens in a tandem together without much instruction. Tried to explain how to paddle backwards to make tight turns etc but in the end, they were not prepared. Should have watched some YouTube videos first. Will do it again for sure.

Nature's lazy river.
Joyce W.

This is the most fun you can have when in Bunn. The ladies that run Tar River Life are absolutely wonderful. They are full of information about the "trip" down the river. Pack a cooler of snacks & drinks, they have a tube for that. The trip down the river is scenic & quite relaxing. We didn't take paddles this time, the current does a pretty good job of keeping you going.

Mia D.

Went kayaking here with my friend and had the best time! That staff is amazing, definitely willing to make it fun experience for everyone in your party. The trip down the river is very calming. Got to see some friendly snakes and a beaver (we kept our distance)! Prefect for all ages but I would recommend having some knowledge of kayaking because we did hit a couple rapids, which was very fun for my group. Great activity for a summer day :)

Elease B.

Terrific Father's Day outing!! NO cell phones! NO tv! Just unplug and hang out with the family.

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21 days ago

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9 months ago

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10 months ago

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8 months ago

The Tar River Life folks are Great people; their equipment is always in top condition; and these are gorgeous places to paddle!

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

Fun family experience! Book your tubes and enjoy! We had an issue with a tube and they took care of it. Highly recommend!

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10 years ago

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7 years ago

Great primitive camping, everyone was very nice, firewood included, they let us check out sites until we found one that worked for us.

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

Great experience. Nice, homegrown staff. Look forward to our next visit down the river!

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Ask the Community - Tar River Life

Review Highlights - Tar River Life

Jacob was extremely helpful both on the phone and in person, and made sure we had everything we needed.

Mentioned in 5 reviews

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Haw River Canoe & Kayak - Yer Haw river Event!

Haw River Canoe & Kayak

4.3(18 reviews)
62.5 mi

When you set out to kayak the historic Haw River it's hard to suppress speculative thoughts about…read moreyour adventure and wonder how it will all turn out. This was on our minds as my wife and I drove past an "entering Alamance County" road sign on our way to the Haw River Canoe & Kayak Company at Saxapahaw, North Carolina. A leisurely drive along Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road parallels the Haw and suggests a hint of our forthcoming adventure. A tough bridge built for hard times stands over massive, craggy, dark gray rocks, chiseled into the river bottom by the waters bonding the town of Saxapahaw to the earth and the history of this area. On arrival, we could see paddlers struggling to sandwich their watercraft among the rocks around the Saxapahaw bridge. But we never foresaw when we left here, our memories would bear an indelible imprint of this place as "Aramanche" -- a place where Native Americans saw water flow through blue clay. One reason to rent a Kayak here is to unplug yourself from the present and reconnect with the past. In fact, the owner and his staff will tell you his fondest wish is for customers is to "unplug and reconnect." When you cast your eyes out over the Haw as you paddle a kayak, you'll see tranquil and rapid running waters, deep cuts into riverbanks and tree lines, and evidence of the dominating torrential waters that have run for millennia along this 110-mile river down to the Cape Fear basin near the Atlantic coast. The geological history of this place is violent. But there's more. There's tons of history and culture to absorb. Generations of native Americans and later, European colonists, are bound up in the history of this river. Native Americans ran The Great Trading Path that ran from Chester County, PA, along the Shenandoah Mountains roughly to where I-81 and route 220 meet near Danville, Virginia, today. From there, settlers found their way into North Carolina along the Haw. Why Go? If you're interested in American history, you'll visit to have fun and to bask vicariously in the river that was once part of the Underground Railroad. Along this river, Quakers would shepherd slaves from house-to-house, across the Ohio River, and into the free territories in the west. If you're a history buffwith an archaeological bent, you'll visit the Haw to find that blue-gray clay the Siouan Indians used as body paint. It was found in Saxapahaw, and the Indians called this clay "Aramanche", meaning, a place where "water flows through blue clay" in Eastern Siouan. If you're interested in seismology, you'll be curious about the natural fault line running from this area down to Charleston, S.C., that triggered the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. You can see this line on the surface under a little bridge in the nearby village of Glencoe, N.C., along Highway 62. If you enjoy riding the rapids as a Kayaker, you'll need to sign up for a class-III white-water adventure. The fault line that runs from Glencoe down toward the Cape Fear river basin features sharp drop-offs triggering the rapid waters adrenaline junkies crave. A guided tour along the Haw lasts about 3-hours. Go, unplug, reconnect with American history and, enjoy!

we were booked on Thursday @11 am. we were an hour away and it was raining. called the number…read moreposted online twice but couldn't get a hold of anyone when we called. left a VM. but no call back. we drove the hour and nobody was there. A couple of minutes later a nice young lady showed up. we agreed the weather was so bad the paddle could not go ahead. it is disappointing we had to drive 2 hours (there and back) for nothing when if someone had been proactive to contact us to say let's cancel. they need to monitor phone calls etc. or have a way to get in contact. We went back the next day when the weather was perfect. Lovely 3 mile paddle. Remember, you have to walk 1/4 mile trail to the launch with all your stuff including the paddles and walk back When done. There was nobody there to meet us on our return but no big deal I guess. They share the bathrooms with the business upstair. Very basic.

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Haw River Canoe & Kayak
Haw River Canoe & Kayak - New tshirt design!

New tshirt design!

Haw River Canoe & Kayak - Downriver saxapahaw mill race to old Greensboro road

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Downriver saxapahaw mill race to old Greensboro road

Motor-Boatin

Motor-Boatin

4.9(13 reviews)
29.4 mi

We have rented boats from this company with friends 4 times already and they are the best. The…read moreboats are well taken care of and they are easy to do business with. We have had them put the boats in for us at Falls Lake as well as picked the boat up and towed it ourself. I highly recommend letting them do it all. So easy and they take care of all the hard stuff and leave us to have all the fun.

This was great. I book a 14 person boat about a month out. I also rented a tube. So, I was looking…read morefor something different to do. We are stuck at home during COVID. So I decided to take the crew out. They really enjoyed it. No worries if you think driving a boat is hard. It's not. You have to be careful and look out for your surroundings. But it's pretty easy. Remember a boat does not have brakes. Lol. Maybe few years from now, but no brakes. Let me tell you how easy it is. Once your date for the boat date comes up, you just park and unload at the dock area. Park as close to the water as possible. The team will be down there, and will have the boat in the water for you already. You will have time to load your stuff. No big rush. They will hop on the boat with you to give you instructions. And you just take off. It's that easy. You can rent for half a day or full day. The lake is big so you may want a full day out. Half of a day is plenty. Remember when your out on the water and have any issues, you can always call them.

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Motor-Boatin
Motor-Boatin
Motor-Boatin

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Endor Paddle

Endor Paddle

3.3(3 reviews)
63.9 mi

We just finished a trip down the Deep River, and it was so fun. I've lived here for almost 10…read moreyears and have never been anywhere near the river, and I'm also a little afraid of water (though I am a strong swimmer). I'll tell you the stuff I was worried about, and how it went! We went tubing. It's easy and fun to do, great with kids, and it's SLOW. More like S...L...O..O...O..W.. Which is okay. The tubes are big, and the cooler tube is really a must, even if you don't have a cooler. The water is slow (but you could see where the high water marks are, and thinking about this river during a hurricane is terrifying). Before going, I was concerned about: Snakes, rapids that no one knew about, underwater things, storms, biting flies, did I mention snakes? Spider webs. None of those things were an issue. This stretch of the river is really tame, and aside from the sort of treacherous climb down to the water in the beginning (it's manageable), it was extremely non threatening. I have one adventurous kid and one nervous one, and both had a great time. We saw a water snake for about 2 seconds. Zero bugs - I don't know why, but there were none. The bottom was pretty nice. You may want to bring a small paddle - tubes are difficult to propel, and it really is a long trip, 3-5 hours. We made it out in 4. There isn't a lot of shade, so obviously sunscreen. If you have a comfortable life jacket that you wear, bring that - they have the orange kind that are so uncomfortable. Really good time, and so easy. Go! Endor Paddle was a great host, he was extremely helpful getting everyone loaded up, didn't rush us, and made everything easy.

No frills for sure! Nice enough folks. Meet up at Deep River Public Park. This is where you park…read moreyour vehicles. Load up into van which ferries passengers down to the Camelback bridges where they provide inflated innertubes which you carry down to the river. Loading area is non-existent. The first 20 minutes floating down the river is bliss. THEN you will enter a war zone! Apparently there are (numerous?) gun clubs alongside the river and that is all you hear for majority of the rest of your ride! Thankfully no stray bullets but this is FAR from a tranquil ride down the river!

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Endor Paddle - Deep River crawdad

Deep River crawdad

Endor Paddle - Relaxing kayakers on Deep River

Relaxing kayakers on Deep River

Endor Paddle - Camelback bridge

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Camelback bridge

Freedom Boat Club at Jordan Lake

Freedom Boat Club at Jordan Lake

5.0(2 reviews)
46.9 mi

One of the best groups I have ever joined. Staff at Southport, NC is incredible. I would recommend…read morejoining this club if you want a no hassle boating experience and the "Freedom" to make the best of your day on the water.

I have never owned a boat, but having grown up near the water have always heard friends who were…read moreboat-owners complain about repairs, maintenance and docking. That's why I was so intrigued when I heard about the Freedom Boat Club at Jordan Lake (which is the closest body of water to me). I describe it to my friends as a "country club for boats". Like a country club you have an initiation fee and a monthly maintenance. But that gives you hassle-free access to a fleet of boats. Your ownership experience amounts to nothing more than reserving your time online, showing up at the lake at the designated time, having a blast out on the water, and then when the day is done handing the keys back to the dock crew and driving away. As far as cost is concerned I compared the cost of the boat club to what I was paying for Hurricanes season tickets. It turned out that 1 year of the Canes tickets would pay for several years of Freedom Boat Club - that was a no-brainer for me. Finally, the staff at FBC are great. They help you carry your stuff to and from the car to your boat, see you off and most importantly to me, are out on the dock waiting for me when I come in to help me pull into the slip. When my 3 boys entered their teenage years I was looking for ways to stay connected to them, and activities on the lake were a great fit. Tubing, knee-boarding (and later on wake-boarding) became a fun way to get them outside and active. They looked forward to having friends out there with them, and were happy to have Dad out there driving the boat and keeping things safe. As a guy with very little practical boating experience, the Freedom Boat Club allowed me to create great times and memories with my family.

Tar River Life - campgrounds - Updated July 2026

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