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.
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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 CarolinaWhitewater 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.
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)