North Carolina whitewater - Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains, Cocke County Cocke county, Big Creek to Hartford section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III+     4.66 miles   Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in North Carolina are easier than the national norm, so you'd better keep in mind that rivers here are less demanding. The starting point is not too far from Newport, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Getting some good exercise and just     being out on the river for a while have people coming from far and near. On this section you do get some distance, you can easily run it on an afternoon. The beautiful Great Smoky Mountains scenery is an added bonus. The beautiful scenery of Cocke County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream beats anything. The Big Creek to Hartford section of Pigeon River is 4.66 miles long and has been rated as a class III+ section by American Whitewater. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this area has a large number of paddling rivers. There are so many stretches to paddle in this river system, the Big Creek to Hartford stretch is just one of many. Briefly about the general area: That right there is a heap of cool stuff already but it goes on, the Great Smoky Mountains has it all. Going for a hike   on the Baxter Creek Trail is always a tremendous adventure. Near Pigeon River you stumble on the Stone Mountain Trail which is a great hiking trail; a brilliant site to pop by is Moore Hollow. Pigeon River typically gets lots of rain; during the month of May you get the most rain around here; the driest month is October. At Pigeon River during the warm days of summer highs are in the 80's while overnight lows are commonly in the 60's. The winter brings highs down to the 40's while Pigeon River nighttime low temperatures all through the wintertime are in the 20's. Pigeon River, Big Creek to Hartford road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: III+ Length: 4.66 miles Average Gradient: 33 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.77519 Longitude: -83.0999 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.8128 Longitude: -83.1447 Paddler input for Pigeon River, North Carolina: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina Local climate location: NEWPORT 11 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites NEWPORT SOUTH, Newport 10 miles away The newest addition to the Foothills of Smoky Mountains, is the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Newport, Tennessee! We are conveniently located to I-40 at exit 435, just a short drive to Gatlinburg, Pige... Days Inn Newport, Newport 10 miles away The Days Inn Newport is conveniently located on Exit 435 from I-40 just 45 miles east of Knoxville and 70 miles west of Asheville, NC. Whether traveling on business or leisure we will provide you with... Best Western Newport Inn, Newport 10 miles away At the Best Western Newport Inn we offer complimentary continental breakfast for each guest. Our twenty-four hour desk is always willing to serve you, whatever your needs might be. This choice propert...   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 Pigeon River, North Carolina List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Pigeon 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 Newport, Tennessee Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Newport, Tennessee, the metro area neareast to Pigeon River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Pigeon River.   Whitewater Near Pigeon River: Pigeon River, Cocke County , 0 miles away, Class II-III - 4.2 miles long (Walter's Power Plant at Waterville to Bridge at Hartford) Big Creek, Haywood County , 2 miles away, Class IV - 2 miles long (NPS Campground to Confluence with Big Pigeon) Big Creek, Haywood County , 3 miles away, Class V - 5.4 miles long (Walnut Bottom to NPS Campground) Pigeon River, Haywood County , 6 miles away, Class IV-V - 7.2 miles long (Harmon Den to Big Creek) Cataloochee Creek, Haywood County , 8 miles away, Class II-III(IV) - 6 miles long (Catalooche Campground to Waterville Lake) Cold Springs Creek, Haywood County , 9 miles away, Class IV - 2.5 miles long (to Harmen Den) French Broad, Cocke County , 9 miles away, Class I-II(III) - 8.5 miles long (Del Rio to Bridgeport Market) Hurricane Creek, Haywood County , 9 miles away, Class -blank- - 4.3 miles long (SR 1336 to Pigeon River) French Broad, Cocke County , 12 miles away, Class I-III - 18 miles long (Hot Springs to Highway 107 at Del Rio) Straight Fork, Swain County , 13 miles away, Class III-IV - 4.6 miles long (Round Bottom to Raven Fork)   Ski Areas Near Pigeon River: Cataloochee, North Carolina , 13 miles away, 740 vertical feet Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 31 miles away, 600 vertical feet Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 43 miles away, 700 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 46 miles away, 225 vertical feet Sky Valley, Georgia , 49 miles away, 210 vertical feet Ski Beech, North Carolina , 89 miles away, 830 vertical feet Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 90 miles away, 1200 vertical feet Hawksnest, North Carolina , 92 miles away, 619 vertical feet Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 103 miles away, 365 vertical feet Winterplace, West Virginia , 171 miles away, 603 vertical feet   Hotels Near Pigeon River: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites NEWPORT SOUTH, Newport , 10 miles away Days Inn Newport, Newport , 10 miles away Best Western Newport Inn, Newport , 10 miles away Holiday Inn Newport,Tn, Newport , 11 miles away Mountain Crest Inn, Newport , 11 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Pigeon River: Fox Fire Camp And Canoe, Hartford, 2 miles away Fox Den Campground, Cosby, 7 miles away Indian Camp Creek Camp Ground, Cosby, 10 miles away   Trails Near Pigeon River: Stone Mountain Trail, Cocke County , 3 miles away Baxter Creek Trail, Haywood County , 4 miles away Big Branch Trail, Haywood County , 4 miles away Lower Whiterock Trail, Cocke County , 5 miles away Asbury Trail, Haywood County , 8 miles away   National Parks Near Pigeon River: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 27 miles away Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 40 miles away