▁flow ▁into ▁W iny ah ▁Bay ▁and ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁the ▁river ▁was ▁designated ▁as ▁a ▁" N atural ▁and ▁Sc en ic ▁River " ▁by ▁the ▁North ▁Carolina ▁General ▁Assembly . ▁In ▁addition , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁black water ▁river ▁in ▁North ▁Carolina ▁to ▁be ▁designated ▁as ▁a ▁National ▁Wild ▁and ▁Sc en ic ▁River ▁by ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁Inter ior . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁L umber ▁River ▁was ▁voted ▁one ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ’ s ▁Ten ▁Natural ▁W onders , ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁an ▁on - line ▁contest ▁held ▁by ▁Land ▁for ▁Tom orrow , ▁a ▁coal ition ▁dedicated ▁to ▁supporting ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ’ s ▁land ▁and ▁water ▁resources . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁An cient ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁ ▁Ev idence ▁from ▁ar che ological ▁exc av ations ▁along ▁the ▁L umber ▁River ▁has ▁shown ▁that ▁success ive ▁cult ures ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁Native ▁Americans ▁inhab ited ▁this ▁area ▁for ▁thousands ▁of ▁years . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁arch ae ological ▁sites ▁have ▁been ▁exc av ated ▁on ▁high ▁ground ▁along ▁the ▁river . ▁While ▁many ▁have ▁been ▁dist urbed ▁by ▁the ▁agricult ural ▁practices ▁of ▁the ▁post - Col umb ian ▁era , ▁numerous ▁artifact s ▁and ▁some ▁foss ils ▁have ▁been ▁recovered . ▁ ▁These ▁include ▁a ▁d ug out ▁can oe ▁made ▁by ▁ind igen ous ▁people ▁and ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁over ▁ 1