Whitewater Rafting in the Smokies
(East Tennessee, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountain Rafting)

Enjoy the best whitewater rafting in the Smokies with Rapid Expeditions. Our experienced, friendly and fun-loving guides are ready you and your family a great time on the Pigeon River in the Great Smoky Mountain. Plus, we're very close to the towns of Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Sevierville for all you vacationers looking for a great day rafting in the Smokies... and no experience is necessary!

Rapid Expeditions Whitewater Rafting in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee is located on the Pigeon River in Hartford, TN. This controlled whitewater river allows guests to enjoy thrilling Class I, II, III and IV rapids in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, along with leisurely stretches of river for relaxing and taking in the scenery. Rapid Expeditions offers trips on the Upper Pigeon River and Lower Pigeon River.

The Pigeon River is a dam-controlled body of water which operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. We strongly encourage participants to schedule their rafting trip on a release date for maximum enjoyment. The water may be released on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays, but it is not guaranteed. Rapid expeditions will be scheduling trips at 11:00, 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00 on the scheduled release days from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

Upper Pigeon River Rafting

The Upper Pigeon River whitewater rafting trip is approximately 4.2 miles long, and you can expect to spend 1–1.5 hours on the river and 2.5 hours total from the time you arrive at our outpost to the time you leave. The trip begins when you arrive at our outpost. Participants will gear up and then listen to a short safety talk. After orientation you will take a short 5 mile ride to the put-in at the Carolina Power & Light hydroelectric powerplant, right on the TN/NC border. Your Rapid Expeditions guide will once again go over safety and then go over basic paddle commands. After everyone is comfortable with the experience, it's into the water!

Along with each participants help, your certified whitewater guide will navigate your raft down the river. Enjoy exciting rapids, including waves, drops and standing wave surfing as your raft descends over 60 rapids ranging from Class I to Class IV. Near the end of the trip, guests will be given the opportunity to exit the boat for a chance to swim in the river. We suggest the less intense Lower Pigeon River rafting trip for families with children under 8 years old.

Less than 9 paddlers: $32.00/person*  ($36.96 including taxes)
Groups of 9 or more: $28.95/person*  ($33.63 including taxes)

Trips go rain or shine — Register today!

*State sales tax and a $2.00 river tax will be applied to each participant.
**Paddlers must be at least 8 years old or 70 pounds to raft the Upper Pigeon River.

Lower Pigeon River Rafting

The Lower Pigeon River rafting trip is a relaxing 5.2 mile float through the Cherokee National Forest — perfect for families with small children and those looking for a less intense river rafting experience. Your trips begins at the Rapid Expeditions outpost where we go over safety and paddling techniques. Afterwords, we put in directly behind the Rapid Expeditions outpost and then the adventure begins!

Children and parents will enjoy a 5 mile trip on over 50 Class I and II rapids, along with a chance to stop for a leisurely swim or simply to take in the sounds and scenery in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. For those looking for a more intense experience, we suggest the Upper Pigeon River rafting trip with one of Rapid Expeditions expert guides.

Less than 9 paddlers: $32.00/person*  ($36.96 including taxes)
Groups of 9 or more: $28.95/person*  ($33.63 including taxes)

Trips go rain or shine — Register today!

*State sales tax and a $2.00 river tax will be applied to each participant.
**Paddlers must be at least 3 years old and accompanied by an adult to ride the Lower Pigeon River.

Feeling Less Adventurous?

We have you covered! For moms and dads, grandparents, and anyone who'd rather hang back, we invite you to come out anyway and share in the experience! Rapid Expeditions has a covered picnic area with plenty of reading materials and conveniences to help you relax on the water — and we mean ON the water. Our picnic area is right up against the banks of the Pigeon River, giving you a perfect view of the rushing water below.

Within walking distance of the outpost (less than 500 feet) you will find shops, restaurants and convenience stores to help make your visit complete. And, we strongly encourage all you fly fishermen and women to bring your gear and go after the native brook, brown and rainbow trout. There are plenty of prime locations right behind our outpost!

Safety on the River

Safety is paramount to the Rapid Expeditions whitewater rafting experience. We set our standards to the highest level both on and off the river. All guides are certified in first aid and CPR. Their experience and dedication to safety means that you and your family will be in good hands on the water.

Each trip begins with a safety talk at the Rapid Expeditions outpost, where we will go over the basics of rafting, whitewater swim position, what to do in case you fall out of the raft, and how to handle oneself on the raft in a safe and efficient manner.

At the put-in, your guide will once again go over key points and make sure that everyone understands the proper safety techniques. With over 50 years of combined whitewater experience, your guides are guaranteed to be leaders in any whitewater situation one might encounter. Further, each raft is equipped with a first aid kit in case of emergency. Each kit is checked and rechecked before each rafting trip. But rest assured — to date we have never had to use any of them.

Trips go rain or shine — register today!

Other Whitewater Rafting Venues:
Great Smoky Mountains, East Tennessee, Western North Carolina

The Big Pigeon River is one of many amazing rafting rivers in the area. Other whitewater venues include:

Chattooga: The Chattooga is one of the very few commercially-rafted class V rivers in the Southeast. In the spring, the river is lined with blooming pink and white mountain laurel. Spring is also a great time to go rafting, kayaking, or canoeing on the Chattooga for the higher spring waters. The Chattooga is a free-flowing river (no upstream dam to control the flow) which quickly responds to rainfall or drought conditions. As a drop-pool style river, rapids are followed by calm pools. In the summertime, the water is even warm enough to take a swim in one of these pools.

The Chattooga is separated into several sections with Section 0 starting out near Cashiers. Section III has Class II-IV rapids which rafters and kayakers frequent. Lush rhododendron line the banks. The minimum age requirement to raft this section is 10 years old. Section IV has long been regarded as one of the most challenging rivers to raft or kayak. This section includes Class III-IV+ rapids, including the famous Five Falls. The minimum age requirement to raft Section IV is 13. One famous waterfalls the Bull Sluice, featured in the film Deliverance.

After Wild & Scenic designation in 1976, the United States Forest Service limited some activities in order to balance overall recreational use on the River. Motorized boating was eliminated from the entire river and all floating was eliminated from the uppermost 21 miles to protect other pursuits, primarily angling.

Two paddling access lobby organizations are challenging the USFS protective restrictions on the uppermost section and are demanding unlimited access from the USFS.

French Broad: The French Broad River flows from near Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville, Tennessee is considered to be the headwaters of the Tennessee River. It was originally named for being one of two broad rivers in western North Carolina . The one which flowed into formerly French colonial territory was named the French Broad, and the other which stayed in English territory (the American colonies) was named the English Broad, now just the Broad River. A variant name of the French Broad River is Agiqua River, commonly seen on old maps.

The river begins west of the Eastern Continental Divide, and thereafter flows northwest through the Appalachian Mountains. The river follows a general northwesterly direction as it flows through Transylvania County, Henderson County, and Buncombe County. In Buncombe County, the river flows through the city of Asheville, where it picks up the Swannanoa River. Downstream of Asheville, the river proceeds north through Madison County, where it flows through the county seat of Marshall. In Cocke County, Tennessee the river picks up the Pigeon River and the Nolichucky River, after which it is impounded behind Douglas Dam. In Sevier County, Tennessee it picks up the Little Pigeon River, then flows through a wide gap in Bays Mountain before joining the Holston River at Knoxville.

Just like the New River to the north, because the river flows across the Appalachian Mountains, it is often thought to be older than the mountains.

The Tennessee portion of the French Broad was designated a state scenic river by the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. Approximately 33 river miles in Cocke County, Tennessee, starting at the North Carolina border and extending downstream to the confluence with Douglas Lake, are designated as Class III, Partially Developed.

The lower portion of the river is the site of a major hydroelectric dam development of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Douglas Dam, which is one of the larger TVA developments on a Tennessee River tributary stream. Douglas, like many of the older TVA facilities in East Tennessee, was initially developed largely to meet the power demands entailed by World War II, particularly the Manhattan Project production facilities at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Nantahala: The Nantahala River is a river in western North Carolina in the United States, near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Some have said that the word "Nantahala" comes from the phrase "Land of the Noonday sun" in Cherokee. The river runs through a gorge (the "Nantahala Gorge") where, in spots, the sun may only penetrate for a short time during mid-day.

The river is popular with whitewater rafters and whitewater kayakers. The river begins high in the mountains and flows into Nantahala Lake, which boasts a high surface elevation at 3012'. The raftable part of the river, the lower section below the powerhouse, is 8 miles long and has class II and III rapids. Rafters can choose to go with a commercial outfitter on a guided trip or rent their own raft. Commercial outfitters are permitted by the US Forest Service, which mandates that children must weigh at least 60 pounds to raft the Nantahala because of the hypothermia risk to anyone smaller. The raft trip begins above Patton's Run. Other notable rapids include "Quarry," "Surfers," and "Nantahala Falls."

A serpentine two-lane road that was once part of the Trail of Tears runs along the river, and there are picnic areas next to the river. The flow of the river is controlled by a dam owned by Duke Power. This means that water levels are consistent when the river is "on," usually during daytime hours, but increased rain or a need to lower Nantahala Lake may mean that the Nantahala River is running 24 hours a day. Duke Power usually schedules dam maintenance for November, and the river is then "off." The river is approximately 52 degrees for most of the year, because the water released comes from the bottom of Lake Nantahala. The Nantahala River empties into Fontana Lake just below Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Nantahala Bridge, showing the high water level even in late summer (September).
The Upper section of the river (above the powerhouse) also runs along a two-lane road. This steep, narrow section of the Nantahala is called the Cascades by local paddlers. During high water (after a big rain), kayakers test their skill on Class IV-V rapids such as "The Horns of God". A tall waterfall cascades into the river.

Commercial rafting began on the Nantahala in 1972 when Payson and Aurelia Kennedy and Horace Holden Sr. opened Nantahala Outdoor Center in the old Tote 'N Tarry Motel. The river is now one of the most popular rivers in the world, with over 250,000 paddlers annually. An entire outdoor recreation community has sprung up in this rural part of Swain County, which is relatively isolated from the rest of the state.

Nolichucky: The Nolichucky River is a major stream draining the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and East Tennessee.

The Nolichucky River rises as the confluence of the North Toe River and the Cane River near the community of Huntdale, North Carolina. The stream succeeds the North Toe as the boundary between Yancey County, North Carolina and Mitchell County, North Carolina. Trending roughly westward, it flows along the north flank of Flattop Mountain. The gorge is especially steep on its north side. Geologically, the area is underlain by predominantly by metamorphic rock of Precambrian time.

The river then enters Unicoi County, Tennessee, flowing through ranges known locally as the Bald Mountains and the Unaka Mountains. Turning northwest, the stream is bridged by the Appalachian Trail, and then, just beyond this, by U.S. Highway 19W southwest of the Unicoi County seat of Erwin. Near Erwin, two tributary streams, South Indian Creek and North Indian Creek, join the Nolichucky River. Turning more to the north, the stream is paralleled for several miles by State Route 81 (known locally as Nolichucky River Road), crossing into Washington County. The river cuts between several mountains at this point, including Rich Mountain to the south and Buffalo Mountain to the north.

Shortly after entering Washington County, the river makes a horseshoe bend near the small community of Embreeville, where it is bridged by Tennessee 81 for the first time. At the northeastern end of Embreeville Mountain, the stream emerges from a large gap, and, turning west-southwest, is bridged by Tennessee 81 again. This region is known as the Ridge and Valley province, underlain primarily by sedimentary rock of the Lower Paleozoic Era. The river then continues west-southwest for several miles, paralleled by State Route 107. The river leaves the roadside near the settlement of Mt. Carmel. From there it flows northwest over a curving course to Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park. (Contrary to the well-known, Disney-manufactured "folk song" about Davy Crockett, he was not "born on a mountaintop in Tennessee", but rather in the Nolichucky River valley, which did not sound as endearing.) This park is located near the Washington County–Greene County line. Many tributary creeks join the river in Washington and Greene Counties. At the county line one of the larger tributaries, Big Limestone Creek, joins the river.

From Crockett's birthplace the river flows southwestward, following the trends of the Ridge and Valley province's underlying geology. Bridged by Tennessee 107 just east of Tusculum College, the stream continues southwestward, later bridged by State Route 350 just above an impoundment caused by Nolichucky Dam. This dam was constructed as a hydroelectric project by the former Tennessee Electric Power Company in 1912. The dam was sold to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1939. The TVA continued to operate the dam for electrical power purposes until the 1970s. The degree of siltation of the reservoir, called Davy Crockett Lake, had made continued efforts to operate the facility for hydroelectric purposes impracticable. The agency retired the dam as a power source but continues to maintain it and to use it for flood control and recreational purposes. A small museum about the site's history and the utilization of electric power in general has been operated here intermittently since that time.

Just below Nolichucky Dam the river is bridged by State Route 70. Shortly afterward, it is also crossed by Meadow Creek Road, a Greene County road. From here the stream flows almost due west and is then bridged by U.S. Highway 321. Just before the Greene County–Cocke County line the river is bridged by State Route 340. Shortly below this point, the river becomes the Greene County–Cocke County line. A few miles below this point it is bridged by Knob Creek Road, a Cocke County road. Slightly south of Interstate 81, Greene County, Cocke County, and Hamblen County come to a point at a bend in river, where the larger tributary Lick Creek joins the river. From this point on, the meandering stream forms the Hamblen County–Cocke County line. The next bridge over the Nolichucky is on State Route 160. The final bridge over the Nolichucky River is Hale's Bridge on Spencer Hale Road. The confluence of the Nolichucky with the French Broad River occurs in the upstream portion of the Douglas Lake impoundment, caused by Douglas Dam, a World War II-era TVA project. Near the mouth is the Rankin Wildlife Management Area, a reserve opeated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
The Nolichucky is considered to be a fairly famous and historic stream in Tennessee, largely because it is in and associated with the part of the state that was the subject of the first extensive white settlement. The state's first governor, John Sevier, was known by the nickname "Nolichucky Jack", a reference to this stream.

The stream is a popular white water rafting and canoeing destination since it has stretches of both white water areas and calm water. Between Poplar, North Carolina and Unaka Springs, Tennessee, the river provides one of the most scenic whitewater trips in the South.

Ocoee: The Toccoa River and Ocoee River are actually a single river that flows northwestward through the southern Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States. It is called the Toccoa in Georgia, until it reaches the twin cities of McCaysville, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee. The remainder is called the Ocoee through Tennessee, known for its whitewater rafting, and host to whitewater slalom events during the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics held primarily in Atlanta, about 100 miles (160 km) to the south.

The Ocoee River is a tributary of the Hiwassee River, which it joins in Polk County, Tennessee near the town of Benton. It was an important river for both the Cherokee and Creek Indians.

The Ocoee's flow is controlled by the Tennessee Valley Authority via three dams. Most often the riverbed is nearly dry in the ten-mile stretch used for sporting, the water being diverted through flumes along the side of the mountains. The dam that controls the middle section of the river and diverts the water through the flume was originally built in 1913 by the East Tennessee Power Company to provide hydroelectric power to the new Alcoa company then starting aluminum production operations in Blount County, Tennessee. TVA acquired the two original dams (Ocoee #1 and Ocoee #2) in 1939 and started building Ocoee #3 dam in 1940. These dams generate 67,000 kilowatts of electricity in total. The Middle Section contains some 20 named rapids and provides thousands of people recreational opportunities throughout its 8-month season. One of the largest rapids on the Middle Ocoee, "Hell's Hole," runs right beneath the power station, with "Powerhouse," a significant ledge with a strong hydraulic, right after it. Upstream (to the south), the TVA also operates Blue Ridge Dam, which creates Lake Blue Ridge (called Blue Ridge Reservoir only by the TVA).

Cheoah: The Cheoah River is located in the extreme southwestern corner of NC, near Robbinsville. Normally the nine-mile section between the Santeetlah Dam and Lake Calderwood is dewatered. However, as part of a multi-dam relicensing project, four whitewater flow tests were conducted July 12-14, 2000. I ran it at all four flows and at three of them it was a hoot! Additional information was contributed by several people who paddled it while the hydroelectric plant's plumbing was being repaired in the winter of 2002, especially Sutton Bacon. Those who have paddled both the test and winter release levels report that it gets more and more fun as the water rises, with 5.3' providing one of the most fun rides to be found on any river anywhere at any time. The Cheoah continues to increase in difficulty beyond 5.3', however, and the upper and lower sections get into the downright scary zone past about 6'.

The Cheoah is unusual for rivers of its volume in the Southeast in that its gradient is relatively constant. This means that with the exception of 2 or 3 half mile or so sections, it is unusually continuous, more so than anything else with a similar volume of water in the Southeast. Some during the test releases were calling it "warm western-style paddling;" those paddling it at the higher winter 2002 flows continued the Western analogies, comparing it to Pine Creek on the Arkansas and the Lochsa at high water. No doubt contributing to the analogies was the water quality, which was crystal clear during the winter flows. All who have paddled the Cheoah have agreed that with sufficient water and its historic tree and brush-free channel restored, it will become one of the crown jewels of whitewater world.

The portion of the Cheoah from JoAnne's Gas and Grocery Store to Lake Calderwood can be broken into three sections: a 1.5 mile brushy and tree-clogged upper section with a number of sticky holes and a potentially troublesome river-wide ledge a bit downstream of the hydroelectric bypass pipe, a 4 mile relatively open and mild middle section that features some nice wave trains at higher water levels, and a 1.5 mile lower section with the most gradient and the best defined drops.

At flows of about 1000 cfs or under, the upper section is about a half grade and the middle section a full grade easier than the lower section, with the first two sections similar in difficulty to the Ocoee. The risks are greater, however, as much of the channel is heavily lined with trees and brush, giving the run a nature akin to paddling during a flood. The main technical challenge is presented by the frequent series of offset holes. Because of the trees and brush, it is not a good place to paddle if you don't have a rock-solid roll and the ability to read water well on the fly (bank scouting would not be fun).

The lower section is the best defined, with a number of classic drops. It begins at the bridge on which the Bearpen Gap gauge is located. My favorites were the sequence of four drops with the biggest single drop on the river (a ledge about 8 feet high) being the third and the drop beginning at the bridge downstream of the Tapoco Lodge. There were many, many waves to surf and a number of very playable holes, including two potential rodeo sites: one at Tapoco Lodge and one at the end of the drop beginning at the bridge downstream of the Lodge.

At the highest level paddled during the summer test releases (4.7 feet / 1,130 cfs), the upper and lower sections were much closer in difficulty as the offset holes were beginning to get sticky. The hole below the river-wide ledge was beginning to look scary at this level; recovery after a swim would be challenging due to the thickets of trees growing in the water and on both banks for a considerable distance downstream. The lower section didn't change much, so the result was a run that was a lot more fun but not any scarier (assuming strong class IV skills, and keeping in mind that the Ocoee only requires strong class III skills). If more of the trees and brush were removed, the upper run would almost certainly get easier at every level as paddlers wouldn't be forced to run through the meat of the holes and the entrapment danger would be lower.