From the put-in at Glencoe, the old mill village that’s found new life, you hit a nice Class I-II run within a tenth of a mile. The drop is more significant in the center and river right; stay to the left of a small island river left. There’s a drop near the end of the island (stay left), then scootch to the right to follow a nice tongue over a larger drop of a little over a foot.

Thanks to the presence of mills past and present on this stretch of the Haw there’s another Class I-II drop in another tenth of a mile, followed by more Class I action. Within the first half mile you’ll have a good deal of whitewater action when the river is above the recommended 2.25 feet at Haw River.

At just under 2.5 miles the river cleaves around Goat Island. Nearly a mile long, Goat Island is the longest island on the Haw, and probably the most celebrated, with a history that includes an abandoned school bus, an abandoned 18-wheeler, goats, a purported goat man, and Chris-Chris – an apelike monster said to be a full-time resident.

The first possible take out is at mile 3.6, river right at the Town & Country Paddle Access.

Continuing downriver, you encounter a rock playground that, when the water is right, offers Class I fun for 150 yards or so. It’s an interesting 150 yards, with large rocks nicely spaced to create the illusion of a rambunctious passage but with plenty of cushion for safety. Scout the passage from rocks below the put-in before putting in…not so much for safety purposes, but rather to see where, at the current water level, the most fun lies.

A little over a mile later, you’re at Red Slide Park; take-out is river right.