A lot can happen over that kind of distance. The action gets underway at the headwaters, where the dynamic community of Raleigh-Durham remains one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. Roughly 2. The removal of the antiquated Milburnie Dam in the fall of allowed the unbridled river to glide from Falls Lake Reservoir all the way to the Atlantic, making it one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the Southeast. In the Neuse River Blueway was launched creating a interconnected network of paddle and walking trails.
About halfway between Raleigh and the river mouth, the Cliffs of the Neuse rise up as an impressive foot canyon within the coastal plain at Seven Springs. Hiking trails at the surrounding state park explore the riverside habitats and their mature forests and lead to some quiet fishing spots along the waterway.
The Neuse is considered one of the widest rivers in the U. Six nautical miles across at its widest point, it averages more than three miles in width between the Intracoastal Waterway and New Bern. Established at the river mouth in , New Bern is the first capitol of the state of North Carolina. At an estimated 2 million years old, the Neuse is one of the oldest rivers in the U. Archeological evidence shows that humans settled around the Neuse some 14, years ago.
The plot thickens near the mouth of the Neuse, where the river changes to slow-moving estuary habitat before joining the Tar and Pamlico Rivers in Pamlico Sound. Easily explored by kayak, canoe or SUP, the estuary is home to a wide variety of coastal game fish as well as birds, oysters, and countless other species.
Dolphins and alligators are seen regularly in the estuary, and sharks and manatees occasionally appear as far upriver as New Bern, about 35 miles from the Atlantic.
