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   The average North Carolina whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be easier to run than those in other states, so keep in mind that rivers here are not as hard as elsewhere. This stretch of Fires Creek in North Carolina is 8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II-III+ section. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. The wild scenery of the Great Smoky Mountains is great. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way around here you'll find a large number of good spots. This section     is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, you can easily run it on an afternoon. There are some good stretches to paddle in this river system, the Two miles above Horse Park to Leatherwood Falls stretch is one of them. Getting your paddling muscles activated and just hanging out with mother nature have a lot of people coming here. 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. The natural beauty of Clay County and the cool fresh water make the trip here worthwhile. Briefly about the general area: If you love the outdoors you'll love it here in the Great Smoky Mountains. You have to definitely stop at Mule Flats Bend if you're here at Fires Creek. Fires Creek gets a good deal of water; March is the month   that gets the most rain, and October is when it's the driest. At Fires Creek all through the warmest time of the year highs are in the 80's. Once the sun is down it plunges down to the 60's. For the duration of the wintertime highs are generally in the 40's, and after the sun is down through the winter temperatures at Fires Creek plunge into the 20's. Hiking is a popular thing to do around Fires Creek; CHoga Trail is a delightful local trail, and nearby you hit upon Venus Gap which is a good place to have a look at. 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. Ramada Inn Lake Chatuge Lodge Hiawasee, Hiawassee 9 miles away The Ramada Lake Chatuge Lodge is located in Hiawassee, GA on the shores of Lake Chatuge nestled in the North Georgia Mountains. The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds and the Anderson Music Hall are located... Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hiawassee, Ga, Hiawassee 10 miles away The Holiday Inn Express Hotel - Hiawassee is located in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains near the growing towns of Blairsville, Young Harris and Hiawassee. Our Hiawassee hotel is in close proximi... Ridges Resort & Club, Hiawassee 13 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...   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 Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 101 miles away, 700 vertical feet Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 146 miles away, 1200 vertical feet Ski Beech, North Carolina , 146 miles away, 830 vertical feet Hawksnest, North Carolina , 148 miles away, 619 vertical feet Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 159 miles away, 365 vertical feet   Hotels Near Fires Creek: Ramada Inn Lake Chatuge Lodge Hiawasee, Hiawassee , 9 miles away Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hiawassee, Ga, Hiawassee , 10 miles away Ridges Resort & Club, Hiawassee , 13 miles away Best Western Inn - Murphy, Murphy , 14 miles away Days Inn Murphy, Murphy , 16 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