Roanoke River vying for Top 10 Best Urban Kayaking Spot Ranking by USA Today Top 10 puts Roanoke among major cities Tags: ROANOKE, VA. – The Roanoke River is being recognized for its beauty and accessibility on a national scale and local leaders are hopeful it could help kickstart tourism once again this summer. In the dead of winter, the river is icy cold as snow and ice line the river’s banks. But some, like Stephanie Long with Roanoke Parks and Recreation, are thinking about summertime fun. “Several years ago people didn’t really think about our river favorably, so we have worked really hard (to turn that around),” Long said.