Sunset, Moonlight, & Starlight Paddles

Saxapahaw Lake is the perfect place for a nighttime paddle on the Haw! With glassy water, an open sky, lots of wildlife, and no risk of rocks or motor boats, you can relax and reconnect with nature no matter your paddling experience! Our guides will take you on a loop up and down the lake, visiting highlight locations like Goose Island, the Jump Rocks, and Frog Choir Cove. The total trip length is between 2 and 3 miles, depending on the pace and ambition of the group. A restorative escape from daily stress for individuals and small groups!

Our guided evening paddles on Saxapahaw Lake come in four distinct flavors - Sunset Paddles, Moonlight Paddles, Starlight Paddles, and Owl Prowls, which you can read about below. We run at least one of these trips every weekend from April to November, so check the calendar to find the perfect trip for you!

🌅 Sunset Paddles
Our Saxapahaw sunset paddles start just before the sun disappears behind the western bank, so you can soak in the colors of a Haw River sunset on your way up the lake, listen to the twilight orchestra in Frog Choir Cove, and paddle back under the first stars of the night.

🌕 Moonlight Paddles
You might imagine a nighttime paddle as dark and scary, but under the light of a full moon it's anything but! See the Haw like you never have before on one of our magical Moonlight Paddles. We run these trips about once a month on or just before the full moon, often timing the paddle to start just before moonrise so we can witness the red moon rising over Saxapahaw!

🌌 Starlight Paddles
On moonless nights, the stars shine beautifully over Saxapahaw, and you can even see the faint band of the Milky Way as it arcs over the river. Our Starlight Paddles emphasize relaxation and connection with nature as we lazily paddle up and down Sax Lake, pausing here and there to lie back and admire the twinkling night sky.

🦉 Owl Prowls
Similar to Sunset Paddles in timing, our Owl Prowls have a greater focus on birdwatching, as we rove the favored haunts of the Haw's crepuscular fauna. Possible animal sights (and sounds!) include great blue herons, black-crowned night herons, great egrets, cormorants, kingfishers, beavers, mink, otters, bats, fireflies, and (of course) barred owls!

💫 Meteor Shower Paddles
An eye-catching paddle under the dancing light of shooting stars! These trips are often late night or early morning, as most meteor showers are best viewed after midnight, but Sax Lake's wide-open sky combined with the magical atmosphere of the Haw after dark makes for a spectacular show and an unforgettable experience. This year we'll be watching the Perseids in August and the Draconids in October!

🎃 The Pumpkin Paddle
This spooky paddle takes place only in Halloween season! Guests and guides bring fully carved jack-o-lanterns that are attached to their boat and lit with tea lights, as well as any other spooky decorations they'd like to add! Paddling out at sunset, soon the only lights on the river are the jack-o-lantern faces floating just above the water. A fun and festive paddle for guests to show off their creativity!