Urban kayaking on the Roanoke River: You don’t know what you’re missing We asked the experts if the river deserves to be in the top three in the Updated: Urban kayaking on the Roanoke River: You don’t know what you’re missing If that seems like high praise for a relatively small river once considered too dirty to play in, those who use it regularly say you need to look again. During a day of paddling with four certified paddling instructors who have taken their boats all over the country, it became apparent that Roanoke’s waterway has a lot to offer.