North Carolina whitewater - Oconaluftee River, Great Smoky Mountains, Swain County Swain county, Smokemont Campground to Birdtown section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     11.5 miles   The Smokemont Campground to Birdtown stretch of Oconaluftee River is 11.5 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II-III section. The average whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit easier to master in this state than those in other states, so keep in mind that many of the rivers here are not very demanding. A bit of exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great reasons to come. If you're coming from Sevierville it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, if you're not familiar with the area     there's a road map further down the page. There are plenty of hotels here if you want to spend a night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. There are some good sections to paddle in this river system, the Smokemont Campground to Birdtown section is one of them. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. The nature scenery of Swain County and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water will make you feel great. The beautiful Great Smoky Mountains scenery is an added bonus. This section has enough mileage for an overnight trip, so why not pack your camping stuff too. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling rivers. Briefly about the general area: A great deal of rainfall falls at Oconaluftee River; the month of March   is the wettest with most of the rain, and October is when it's the driest. Whiteoak Flats is a brilliant place to look at. Throughout the days of summer at Oconaluftee River highs are mostly in the 80's, and through the night it cools down to the 60's. The wintertime comes with highs in the 40's; after the sun is down through the wintertime temperatures at Oconaluftee River fall into the 20's. Oconaluftee River, Smokemont Campground to Birdtown road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II-III Length: 11.5 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.55329 Longitude: -83.3091 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.4686 Longitude: -83.35221 Paddler input for Oconaluftee River, North Carolina: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Oconaluftee River, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina Local climate location: SEVIERVILLE 0 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Best Western Great Smokies Inn, Cherokee 2 miles away Discover this Cherokee, North Carolina hotel offering comfortable accommodations near Smoky Mountain National Park, Harrah's Casino and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Welcome to the Best Western Great Smok... Baymont Inn and Suites Cherokee Smoky Mountains, Cherokee 2 miles away Come and experience fine southern hospitality at Baymont Inn & Suites-Cherokee! Our friendly staff lays out a delicious Continental Breakfast every morning. Our rooms are clean and comfy and come with... Hampton Inn Cherokee, Cherokee 2 miles away Hampton Inn Cherokee hotel of North Carolina is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Cherokee Indian Reservation at the North Carolina entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We are...   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 Oconaluftee River, North Carolina List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Oconaluftee River, 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 Sevierville, Tennessee Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Sevierville, Tennessee, the metro area neareast to Oconaluftee River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Oconaluftee River.   Whitewater Near Oconaluftee River: Oconaluftee River, Swain County , 3 miles away, Class III - 4 miles long (Quiet Walkway to Smokemont) Raven Fork, Swain County , 4 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 8 miles long (Job Corps Bridge to Confluence with Oconalufftee) Tuckasegee River, Jackson/Swain County , 7 miles away, Class I-III - 8 miles long (Whittier to Bryson City) Raven Fork, Swain County , 7 miles away, Class V+ - 4 miles long (Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork) Deep Creek, Swain County , 7 miles away, Class II - 3 miles long (Bryson City) Tuckasegee River, Jackson County , 8 miles away, Class II(III) - 5 miles long (Dillsboro to Route 1392) Straight Fork, Swain County , 8 miles away, Class III-IV - 4.6 miles long (Round Bottom to Raven Fork) Upper Road Prong, Sevier County , 11 miles away, Class V+ - 1.09 miles long (Green Light Falls to Third Bridge) Little Pigeon River - Middle Prong, Sevier County , 11 miles away, Class V - 1.4 miles long (Ramsey Prong/ Eagle Rocks Prong confluence to Bridge at Trailhead) Little Pigeon River - Middle Prong, Sevier County , 12 miles away, Class IV+ - 1.5 miles long (Ramsey's Cascade trailhead to Porters Creek confluence)   Ski Areas Near Oconaluftee River: Cataloochee, North Carolina , 17 miles away, 740 vertical feet Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 19 miles away, 600 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 28 miles away, 225 vertical feet Sky Valley, Georgia , 30 miles away, 210 vertical feet Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 62 miles away, 700 vertical feet   Hotels Near Oconaluftee River: Best Western Great Smokies Inn, Cherokee , 2 miles away Baymont Inn and Suites Cherokee Smoky Mountains, Cherokee , 2 miles away Hampton Inn Cherokee, Cherokee , 2 miles away Comfort Inn Cherokee, Cherokee , 2 miles away Comfort Suites Cherokee, Cherokee , 2 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Oconaluftee River: Bradley's Campground, Cherokee, 2 miles away Yogi In The Smokies, Cherokee, 2 miles away Adventure Trail Campground, Cherokee, 2 miles away   Trails Near Oconaluftee River: Messer Trail, Cocke County , 16 miles away Palmer Creek Trail, Haywood County , 16 miles away Caldwell Fork Trail, Haywood County , 17 miles away Sugarland Mountain Trail, Sevier County , 17 miles away Lower Whiterock Trail, Cocke County , 18 miles away   National Parks Near Oconaluftee River: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 17 miles away Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 53 miles away   Lakes Near Oconaluftee River