The Pee Dee River runs a few miles west of Rockingham and offers the best outdoor recreation in the county. The river is wide and dark-watered here, running through bottomland and sandy banks before heading south into South Carolina. Redfish, bass, and catfish are the main catches, and local guides run half-day and full-day fishing trips out of the boat ramps along the river.
Kayaking is possible for experienced paddlers on the flatter stretches, though the current can be strong after rain. The scenery along the river banks — cypress, tupelo, and bottomland hardwood — is a contrast to the piney Sandhills landscape above. Bald eagles winter along this stretch of the river, which gives birdwatchers a reason to come between November and March.