Digital Scholarship and Initiatives

Detailed, interestingly written overview of the river and its resources; its special designations; and its importance to the area's Native Americans.  There is a Lumber River State Park (address and telephone number given).  The river's total range is 115 miles; the range for federal purposes is 81 miles (60 scenic, 21 recreational).  In 1989 the river was added to the North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers System.  On September 28, 1998, it was added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 

This Web page contains excerpts from the Lumber River eligibility report and environmental assessment, prepared as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers designation.  The report describes highway access to the river; recreation (canoeing, fishing, hunting, picnicking/camping, biking/jogging, swimming); fossil hunting; wildlife; archaeological sites along the river; Native American prehistory; history; vegetation; and climate (temperature and precipitation).  The report explains the five resource categories in which the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Study found the Lumber River to be “outstandingly remarkable”: recreation resources, fish, wildlife, scenery, and botany.