North Carolina whitewater - Fires Creek, Great Smoky Mountains, Clay County Clay county, Two miles above Horse Park to Leatherwood Falls section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III+     8 miles   If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside North Carolina you might find the rivers here a bit more manageable, so you'd better keep in mind that rivers here are less demanding. The beautiful scenery of North Carolina and the playfulness of the water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. A good workout and spending some quality time in nature are sure to keep you coming back for more. The Two miles above Horse Park to Leatherwood Falls section of Fires Creek in Clay County is 8 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class     II-III+ section of whitewater. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, around here you'll find a large number of good rivers. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. This is one of a small number of paddling sections in this river system, there are a few others too. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. When you're paddling down a Great Smoky Mountains river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. This stretch is mid length, suitable for an afternoon trip. Briefly about the general area: Summertime highs at Fires Creek typically tend to be in the 80's. When the night sets in temperatures dip down into the 60's. The cold days of   the winter come with highs in the 40's; overnight lows during the winter for Fires Creek tend to be in the 20's. Life's too short to enjoy all the fun things in the Great Smoky Mountains. The high level of precipitation makes Fires Creek a reasonably wet site; through March this area sees the most rain, and October is when it's the driest. A pleasant site to have a look at right next door to Fires Creek is Venus Gap; no need to travel far to check out out of the ordinary stuff like Mule Flats Bend. Fires Creek, Two miles above Horse Park to Leatherwood Falls road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II-III+ Length: 8 miles Average Gradient: 113 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.12549 Longitude: -83.7924 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.11149 Longitude: -83.8073 Paddler input for Fires Creek, North Carolina: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Fires Creek, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina Local climate location: MURPHY 14 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Country Hearth Inn Andrews, Andrews 5 miles away Nestled in the most beautiful, scenic valley in North Carolina, the hotel is surrounded by mountains and borders 300 ft along the Valley River. Guest enjoy 360 degree mountain views from any location ... The Ridges Resort and Club, Hiawassee 9 miles away The resort is on a mountain lake and features amenities unequaled in the southern Appalachian. Located on the shores of Lake Chatuge a 7,500-acre lake less then 2 hours North of Atlanta. Fieldstone Re... Ramada Lake Chatuge Lodge of Hiawassee, Hiawassee 10 miles away Ramada, The Lodge at Lake Chatuge is located in Hiawassee, Georgia on the shores of Lake Chatuge nestled in the North Georgia Mountains. The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds and Anderson Music Hall are l...   Great Smoky Mountains Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Great Smoky Mountains. Great Smoky Mountains Outdoors Info Complete outdoors info for the Great Smoky Mountains. All North Carolina Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in North Carolina. Books about whitewater paddling on Fires Creek, North Carolina List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Fires Creek, North Carolina. Find a whitewater outfitter in North Carolina Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Cornelia, Georgia Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Cornelia, Georgia, the metro area neareast to Fires Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Fires Creek.   Whitewater Near Fires Creek: Fires Creek, Clay County , 1 miles away, Class -blank- - 5 miles long (Mule Flats to Arch Bridge) Hiawassee River, Clay/Cherokee County , 9 miles away, Class I-II - 18.3 miles long (Hayesville to US Route 64) Snowbird Creek, Graham County , 12 miles away, Class III-IV - 12 miles long (Junction to First Bridge Downstream) Nantahala River, Macon/Swain County , 12 miles away, Class III - 3.2 miles long (Route 1310 Bridge to Highway 19) Nantahala River, Macon County , 13 miles away, Class IV-V - 0.7 miles long (FS Road 327 to 1310 Bridge) Whiteoak Creek, Macon County , 13 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 2 miles long (Above Nantahala Cascades) Nantahala River, Macon/Clay County , 14 miles away, Class I-II+(III) - 12.74 miles long (Highway 64 to Nantahala Lake) Snowbird Creek, Graham County , 15 miles away, Class III-IV+ - 8 miles long (Hooper Bald to Junction) Nantahala River, Macon/Swain County , 15 miles away, Class II+(III) - 8 miles long (Power Plant to Wesser) Santeetlah River, Graham County , 15 miles away, Class II-IV - 5 miles long (Forest Service road 81 to Santeetlah Lake)   Ski Areas Near Fires Creek: Sky Valley, Georgia , 32 miles away, 210 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 34 miles away, 225 vertical feet Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 37 miles away, 600 vertical feet Cataloochee, North Carolina , 55 miles away, 740 vertical feet   Hotels Near Fires Creek: Country Hearth Inn Andrews, Andrews , 5 miles away The Ridges Resort and Club, Hiawassee , 9 miles away Ramada Lake Chatuge Lodge of Hiawassee, Hiawassee , 10 miles away Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites HIAWASSEE, Hiawassee , 10 miles away Microtel Inn and Suites Robbinsville, Robbinsville , 12 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Fires Creek: Purple Pony Cottage and Stables-Walnut Hollow Ranch, Hayesville, 4 miles away River's Edge RV Park, Hayesville, 5 miles away Jackrabbit Campground, Clay County, 6 miles away   Trails Near Fires Creek: CHoga Trail, Cherokee County , 6 miles away Thorn Mountain Trail, Macon County , 14 miles away Arkaquah Trail, Union County , 14 miles away Rufus Morgan Trail, Macon County , 18 miles away Rartram Trail, Macon County , 18 miles away   National Parks Near Fires Creek: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 39 miles away