The Bean Shoal Canal was designed to bypass the major navigation obstructions on the upper Yadkin River between Wilkesboro and Salisbury, North Carolina. Construction took place between 1820 and 1825 on a planned three mile canal with three planned lift locks - however, only two miles were completed because of exhorbitant costs for the retaining wall between the canal and the river.

It is not known if the lift locks were ever really constructed or not. The project was abandoned in 1825 and it is not known if the two miles constructed were ever used. In the 1890s, a railway was built on the canal route and this dramatically altered the old canal site, although a significant portion of the old canal can still be seen. It is now within the Pilot Mountain State Park along the Surry/Yadkin counties border.

The original retaining wall has been cleared of undergrowth and is quite impressive. There are several culverts used by the railway, and these could have been constructed by the canal company earlier. A stone guard lock may still be underground in the vicinity, but further exploration is needed to find out.