Bynum Bridge and South Bynum River Access are used for paddling, picnics, stargazing, birdwatching, yoga, walking group meet-ups, and strolling over the Haw River, one of the most-used recreational rivers in the Piedmont for canoeing and kayaking. Formerly referenced as the Bynum Beach Canoe Access.
Bynum Bridge was built between 1922 and 1923 and was considered state-of-the-art design and engineering for that time. The reinforced concrete tee beam bridge has a length of 806.1 feet, stretching across 19 spans of about 43 feet each. Only one tee beam bridge in the state is known to have been longer, and it was built 30 years later and replaced in 2001, leaving Bynum Bridge the longest reinforced concrete tee beam bridge in North Carolina. It has been a pedestrian bridge since 1999, when, for safety concerns, it was blocked to automobile traffic. Bynum Bridge was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on April 23, 2020.
Several regionally operated outfitters, including Cape Fear River Adventures, Frog Hollow Outdoors, Haw River Canoe & Kayak, and Endor Paddle, offer canoeing and kayaking services in our area.
South Bynum River Access is owned by Chatham County Parks & Recreation. Visitors may access the Haw River, but no land connection to the State Natural Area exists. Parking is limited to 2-3 spaces, but more parking is available across the river on the other side of the pedestrian Bynum Bridge, owned by State Parks. One parking lot is on Bynum Road next to the pedestrian Bridge, and the larger lot is downhill off Bynum Church Road.
Protecting this property will ensure public access for future generations of Piedmont paddlers. As always, remember to Leave No Trace and Recreate Responsibly.
