We just had our second stay here and it really gets better each visit. There's constantly something…read morenew to discover or that's improved. We really enjoyed the secret lake trails, amazing playground and marina restaurant this visit.

Been there a million times. Even though it's changed alot through the year's it's a beautiful…read moreplace.

This little cabin on the river was perfect. Easy access. Great parking. Clean cabin with…read morebeautiful view of the river. We will be back!

Who woulda thunk it? I'm always leery when I think of staying in cabins for the holidays, but…read moreWatauga River Cabins was a lovely stay for our family! We managed to snag the top loft around the Holiday season. To top it off, this place is pet-friendly, no questions asked and no pet deposit. This is an incredible perk for families traveling with their fur babies. Because they recognized that pets are family too, we took extra care to clean up after our pets on the property when they did their business outdoors. Not sure if they care about dog poop on the land, but may we suggest a small station for doggie poop bags? Also something to consider, we frequently saw loose dogs from the surrounding area running on the property and road, so we recommend being aware of this if your pet doesn't do well around loose dogs. Our cabin was approximately 600 square feet, had a gas fireplace (awesome!!!!!!), and we were right on the edge of the Watauga River. The land surrounding the cabin is lovely and the sound of the rushing river water is absolutely refreshing. The cabin comes with everything you would need for your stay: extra towels and bedding, extra spices, condiments, and coffee, a nice laundry facility on the ground floor, firewood for the camp fire outside, and an awesome grill and outdoor facility with plenty of seating on the river's edge. Our dogs loved romping in the lake. The only thing that the cabin didn't have was shampoo/conditioner, but there was plenty of soap in the bathroom and kitchen. The water heater worked great, so there was no issue with hot showers or hot water in the kitchen sink. Once you get the fireplace roaring, it's wonderful being able to settle in with a hot mug of coffee, free fast wifi, and satellite TV. Everything during our stay was perfect. We would definitely book this cabin again in the future for the holidays.

Super awesome experience on the Nolichucky with Andy! He was very informative of the surrounding…read morearea and history, kept us engaged with silly jokes, and kept us on the edge of our seats! Definitely a trip worth making. Can't wait to come back!

This place used to be really nice. As of this year I think we've had what will be our last stay…read more Overcrowding: The campground has added way too many tent sites without adequate parking. The result is 0 parking spots and no space for anyone to comfortably enjoy themselves. The fire pits all blow smoke at each other and the tents fill up with other tent sites fire pit smoke. Noise issues: Want to go to sleep at a reasonable time? Too bad. Two nights in a row a bunch of drunkards were blasting music and having a great time from 9pm until 3am. Don't plan on getting much sleep if it's a busy weekend. Barking dogs, screaming kids, loud music, and noisy people well into the night. Safety concerns: the main small beach near the domes where everyone plays is littered with boulders and sharp rocks in the water. Maybe nothing can be done about that. However open inspecting the rotting wood steps leading to the water I found an actual sharp-to-a-point metal spike sticking straight up out of the wood. Luckily I was able to hammer down with a large rock, however that was an impaled foot or worse waiting to happen. There's lots of exposed rebar and it's generally unsafe. Considering how many kids and drunk adults loiter in that area, it's only a matter of time until someone needs stitches. No wonder they have you sign a liability waiver to be here. Lack of facility maintenance: The door locks on most of the bathrooms don't work. The hot water in the showers is barely functional if at all. The wood ramp to the shipping container showers becomes very slippery when wet and poses a safety hazard. There's a wasp sanctuary under the deck as well. Several adults and children were stung this weekend simply walking up the ramp to the bathrooms. With all the money this place is making is there no time to fix and maintain these things? Last but not least, THE CAMP DOGS: a gentleman came to our group and asked that we put all our dogs on leashes (despite them already being on leashes at the time...) and then allows the "camp dog" which is a large black and white husky to roam freely. This dog is an A**HOLE. It constantly bothers people's camp sites and tries to pick fights with other dogs. Our dogs were personally harassed by this dog when he came to our campsite and started eating our dogs food. Then tried to start a fight with our dogs. Then tried to BITE MY WIFE. I had to chase him off every couple hours both days. This dog should not be allowed off leash however the campground owners don't have enough self awareness to do so. All in all, it's been fun over the last few years, but this place has grown too big for the owners and staff to properly manage. Won't likely be coming here again, and we'll be sure to let everyone know what it's become.

FIRST CLASS GUIDE AND TEACHER First time fly fishing and…read moreyears since fishing with a reel, I came in with little to no experience but a lot of curiosity. Not only is Ellis Ward incredibly knowledgeable from all aspects of the sport, but he is also an incredible teacher, guide, and all around human being. As an Engineer, I ask a lot of questions and am generally curious. Ellis' knowledge of the sport (from the environmental conditions and their impact on fishing to the physics of rod, line, and lure movement) was impressive. He caters his instruction to your learning style and he is patient with practice and questions. We had a fantastic day on the Watauga River catching trout. And by the end of the day, I was streamer fishing with bomb casts on the bank. Definite testimonial to Ellis' skill and passion as a guide and instructor!

As a seasoned spin/baitcaster with zero fly experience, fishing with Ellis was a very educational…read moreand fun day. From my first communications with him, the primary discussion was around goals - of which mine were nebulous. Learn everything there is to know about fly fishing, and also catch some fish. Tall order, but he delivered. I was able to try out tons of techniques, get coached on the few I found most interesting, and also catch a healthy trout on the local bite of the day - which, from my experience, is knowledge that only the better guides in a given area are able to actively source. Ellis taught me how to throw dry flies and streamers, on both floating and weighted line, as well as a few other techniques I forget - but all in all I learned a ton and had a blast. I have lots of experience on 'traditional' tackle, and I could tell that while of a different stripe, Ellis is a strong fisherman and even better guide. Looking forward to booking him again and catching even bigger fish.

An enjoyable trip from the Wilbur Dam down the river. Our guide, Daniel, was very personable &…read moreknowledgeable. We really enjoyed his conversation & information about the river. Trip was about 2+ hrs. We stopped for snacks & water & a bathroom break. Also an opportunity to jump into an area of still water. Rope swing & slide available as well. It was a rainy afternoon, we were provided ponchos. Water guns also included! Which was fun for the teenager in our group !

We had a wonderful experience rafting on the Watauga River. Our guide, Jerry, was really great. He…read morewas very knowledgeable, fun and informative. The owner was Teresa was super friendly. She took many photos of us along with our guide that she sent us for free. They even loaned us a hat to wear on the river! I highly recommend Watauga Kayak Tours & Outfitters!

I went with a group of 4 and had TJ as our guide. He did an phenomenal job making sure we had a fun…read moreand memorable ride! Also, the staff did a great job in preparing us for any possible incident that could occur while rafting. We went through 1,2,3 and 4 rapids and the constant view of the mountains was breathtaking. I strongly recommend TJ if you want a water rafting experience you won't forget!

From the time we arrived to when we left, the staff was super helpful, knowledgeable and had a…read moregreat sense of humor. We did a 3 hour rafting trip and our guide, Walker, was absolutely amazing! We had a great time from start to finish and look forward to our next experience with them. Good prices and great service!