The Yadkin River has seen usage since the earliest settlements in the Americas, being utilized not only by the settlers in the early 18^th century but also before this time period by the indigenous peoples of North America. In fact, we can still see remnants of its use by these groups of people still today. Evidence of these early settlements are still able to be seen today in the form of weirs found all over the Yadkin River, however, it is important to remember not to damage or change the weirs if found. Historical information like this and more can be found in the Yadkin River State Blueways Trail. This Blueways guide was able to be made through the collaboration of NCTriad and YadkinRiverKeeper. Having all the information you could need about the Yadkin River from interesting historical facts to all of the paddling access points to the river. The goal of this guide was to provide people of the outdoors the accessibility to all of this information at their fingertips (not only in the form of a brochure but also a web guide available here ) , giving more people the ability to use the Yadkin River for recreational use. A constant goal of state parks is to give the population the opportunity to explore and experience new places and activities and this Blueways guide is an example of that. However, we mustn’t forget that with all of the use of the Yadkin River we must also keep it clean and safe so that people will be able to continue using the Yadkin River for centuries to come. Practicing Leave No Trace is a good way to ensure this and there are other safety protocols inside the guide itself. Practicing Leave No Trace looks like planning ahead and preparing, traveling and camping on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and finally being considerate of others. These are the 7 principles of Leave No Trace and they are important to follow in order to keep our State Rivers and outdoors safe.