Watauga River 321 Access Upper Gorge Park

Managed by MountainTrue Watauga Riverkeeper

Watauga County owned and maintained public access park. Put in for Section 3 Watauga Gorge.

Parking for nearby popular swimming holes Laurel Creek Falls, Snake Pit.

Delayed harvest trout fishing upstream to Hubert Thomas.

Covered picnic shelter.

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Water Quality

Passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on September 27th, 2019. MountainTrue Watauga Riverkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on September 29th, 2019 at 4:00 PM.

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Participating volunteers take weekly water samples, and sites are listed as failing to meet water quality standards if they exceed the EPA's recommended safe level for E. coli of 235 E. coli colonies per 100 ml of water. Volunteers take samples early each week, and results are posted on Thursday or Friday. This sample data provides a general guide to the health of the waterway and should only be used for informational purposes. This data does not guarantee the sampled area is safe for swimming at all times. Overall, E. coli levels in the Watauga River are low, and the river is typically safe for swimming. However, E. coli levels can change at any time and frequently increase after rain events. As a general rule, if the water is clear, then E. coli levels are likely to be low. Please contact the Watauga Riverkeeper at andy@mountaintrue.org if you have questions. Please also contact us if you would like to volunteer to take water samples.

Water Quality Graph

Other Beaches Near This One

Beach	Location	Water Quality
Watauga River at Valle Crucis Community Park Banner Elk, North Carolina	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Historical Status
Guy Ford Road Bridge Bethel, North Carolina	Bethel, North Carolina	Historical Status
Tester Road AW Access Butler, Tennessee	Butler, Tennessee	Historical Status
Elk River Hickory Gap Bridge Banner Elk, North Carolina	Banner Elk, North Carolina	Historical Status

	Green means the beach’s most recent test results met relevant water quality standards.

	Red means the beach’s most recent test results failed to meet water quality standards.

	Grey means water quality information for the beach is too old (more than 7 days old) to be considered current, or that info is unavailable, or unreliable.

	Green means the beach passed water quality tests 95% of the time or more.

	Yellow means the beach passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time.

	Red means the beach failed water quality tests 40% of the time or more.

	Green means the beach has historically excellent or pristine water quality, but there is no current data.

	Red means the water at the site has water quality issues or there is an emergency.

	Grey means there is no current water quality information, the beach is under construction, there has been an event that has rendered water quality information unreliable or unavailable.