12 Stones Adventures

06/01/2026

THANK YOU FOR 1,000 FOLLOWERS!

What started as a passion for paddling has grown into an amazing community of river runners, kayakers, canoeists, adventurers, storytellers, and outdoor enthusiasts who share a love for life on the water.

Today, Uwharrie Paddle Company celebrates reaching 1,000 followers, and we couldn't have done it without every single one of you. Whether you've joined us on a trip, shared a photo, liked a post, recommended us to a friend, or simply followed along on our adventures, you are part of what makes this community so special.

Uwharrie Paddle Company has always been about more than just paddling. It's about the paddle lifestyle—exploring new waters, making memories with family and friends, finding adventure around every bend, respecting our rivers, and connecting with others who share the same passion for the outdoors.

The incredible paddling community we've built together continues to inspire us every day. We are grateful for the friendships, support, stories, and adventures that have come from this journey.

This is just the beginning. We look forward to many more miles of river, countless adventures, and growing this community even further.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of the Uwharrie Paddle Company family. Here's to the next adventure! 🚣‍♂️🌊

05/29/2026

05/19/2026

The story of Graveyard Island is a haunting intersection of industrial progress and ancient memory. It is a place that shouldn't exist—a ridge that was never meant to be an island, holding spirits that were never meant to be moved. ​To understand the island, you have to look beneath the surface of Badin Lake to a time before the valley was drowned.

•​The Rising Tide•
​In the early 1910s, the landscape of the Uwharries was transformed forever. The Narrows Dam was being constructed to power the massive ALCOA aluminum plant, and the engineers knew that once the floodgates closed, the valley floor would vanish. ​
But there was a problem: the valley was dotted with the ancestral homesteads and burial plots of the early Carolina pioneers. Rather than leave the dead to a watery grave, a massive, somber relocation project began.

•​The Hill of the Displaced•
​A high, narrow ridge overlooking the river was chosen as the new sanctuary. Laborers spent months disinterring remains from various family plots—names like Hearne, Palmer, and Coggin—and re-burying them on this high ground.
​When the Narrows Dam finally choked the Yadkin River in 1917, the water rushed in, swallowing the farms, the roads, and the old church foundations. The ridge was cut off from the mainland, transformed into a silent, wooded fortress of stone and soil: Graveyard Island.

•​A Trinity of Cemeteries•
​What makes the island truly fascinating is that it isn't just one graveyard; it is a "tapestry of the departed." It is divided into three distinct sections:

​The Formal Plots: Where the more affluent families moved their ornate, engraved headstones.

​The Fieldstone Graves: Dozens of simple, jagged rocks pulled from the river, marking the resting places of those whose names have been lost to time.

​The Mystery of the Unmarked: It is estimated that nearly 300 souls rest on that small acre of land, many in graves that were moved with such haste or age that no record remains of who they were.

​The Island Today: A Ghost in the Forest
​Today, Graveyard Island sits as a jagged spine of land, accessible only by a determined paddle across the lake or a trek along the ancient railroad tracks.

​The atmosphere there is distinct from the rest of the Uwharries. While the surrounding area is often filled with the sound of off-road vehicles or watercraft, the island remains eerily still. The trees have grown thick around the headstones, some even lifting the markers out of the ground with their roots, as if the forest itself is trying to reclaim the history that the water couldn't touch.

​Graveyard Island stands as a literal "monument to the submerged"—the only part of the old valley that refused to go under.....

05/10/2026

💐Moms love a little time in Mother Nature…

Happy Mother’s Day from Discover Uwharrie!

05/09/2026

❤️🔥

🔥The NC Burn Ban has been lifted in all counties.

Feel free to roast your marshmallows to a nice golden color because only weirdos burn them to a crisp.

Please don't leave your fire unattneded. Extinguish it completely when you aren't right beside it.

PS: this is a real photo we took at Badin Lake. No filters. No Ai. Enjoy!

05/07/2026

I would like to introduce our newest official 12 Stones Adventures member Evan Gibson who works as a utility forester, who holds a degree in forest management. Evan also holds a parks and recreation certification and is a nationally certified wildland firefighter. Evan is a recreational kayaker, off-road enthusiast and overlander. Evan is also a christian.

"My job gives me a broader background in conservation and recreation management. I put my knowledge to use in the field every day. The outdoors isn’t just my job it’s a big part of who I am."

05/03/2026

4 likes. "ABANDONED GOLD MINE (Uwharrie Adventure Series)"