North Carolina whitewater - Raven Fork, Great Smoky Mountains, Swain County Swain county, Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS V+     4 miles   The put-in is not too far from Newport, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. The wonderful North Carolina scenery and the playfulness of the water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. There are many good hotels to choose from, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The average North Carolina whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit easier to master than those in other states, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that many of the sections here are safe for beginners.     Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking around here you'll find a large number of good spots. The Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork stretch of Raven Fork in Swain County is 4 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class V+ section. A bit of exercise and just being out on the river for a while have a lot of people coming here. This section is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, good for a one day paddling trip. This is one of a small number of paddling stretches in this river system, there are a few others too. The Great Smoky Mountains scenery is wonderful. There's camping available near Raven Fork. Briefly about the general area: All the water falling down from the sky makes Raven Fork a wet site; March is when you get the most rain here, and October is the month with the least moisture.   The Gorges is a fine location to have a look at nearby. During the warmest time of the year at Raven Fork temperatures are mostly in the 80's, and during the night it cools down to the 60's. The cold days of the winter come with highs in the 40's, and after the sun is down throughout the winter temperatures at Raven Fork plunge into the 20's. Raven Fork, Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: V+ Length: 4 miles Average Gradient: 400 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.6062 Longitude: -83.2597 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.56549 Longitude: -83.2455 Paddler input for Raven Fork, North Carolina: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Raven Fork, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina Local climate location: SEVIERVILLE 6 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Microtel Inn and Suites Cherokee, Cherokee 3 miles away This Microtel Inn and Suites is close to downtown Cherokee, 0.5 mile to Harrahs Cherokee Casino and less than 2 miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Microtel Inn... Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Louisville East, Louisville 3 miles away This Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham is great for a weekend getaway and is the perfect extended stay hotel in Louisvilles East End. We are located behind Mall St Matthews and Oxmoor Mall and a short drive ... Best Western Great Smokies Inn, Cherokee 6 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...   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 Raven Fork, North Carolina List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Raven Fork, 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 Raven Fork. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Raven Fork.   Whitewater Near Raven Fork: Straight Fork, Swain County , 2 miles away, Class III-IV - 4.6 miles long (Round Bottom to Raven Fork) Raven Fork, Swain County , 3 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 8 miles long (Job Corps Bridge to Confluence with Oconalufftee) Oconaluftee River, Swain County , 6 miles away, Class III - 4 miles long (Quiet Walkway to Smokemont) Oconaluftee River, Swain County , 7 miles away, Class II-III - 11.5 miles long (Smokemont Campground to Birdtown) Little Pigeon River - Middle Prong, Sevier County , 9 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 , 11 miles away, Class IV+ - 1.5 miles long (Ramsey's Cascade trailhead to Porters Creek confluence) Tuckasegee River, Jackson County , 11 miles away, Class II(III) - 5 miles long (Dillsboro to Route 1392) Big Creek, Haywood County , 12 miles away, Class V - 5.4 miles long (Walnut Bottom to NPS Campground) Scotts Creek, Jackson County , 13 miles away, Class III-IV(V) - 2 miles long (Willets-Ochre Hill to Addie) Little Pigeon River - Middle Prong, Sevier County , 13 miles away, Class III-IV - 2.7 miles long (Picnic Grounds at Greenbrier Ranger Station to Highway 73)   Ski Areas Near Raven Fork: Cataloochee, North Carolina , 11 miles away, 740 vertical feet Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 22 miles away, 600 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 33 miles away, 225 vertical feet Sky Valley, Georgia , 35 miles away, 210 vertical feet Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 55 miles away, 700 vertical feet   Hotels Near Raven Fork: Microtel Inn and Suites Cherokee, Cherokee , 3 miles away Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Louisville East, Louisville , 3 miles away Best Western Great Smokies Inn, Cherokee , 6 miles away Baymont Inn and Suites Cherokee Smoky Mountains, Cherokee , 7 miles away Days Inn Cherokee/Smokey Mountains, Cherokee , 7 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Raven Fork: Indian Creek Campground, Cherokee, 2 miles away Round Bottom Campground, Swain County, 3 miles away River Valley RV Park and Campground, Cherokee, 3 miles away   Trails Near Raven Fork: Palmer Creek Trail, Haywood County , 10 miles away Messer Trail, Cocke County , 10 miles away Caldwell Fork Trail, Haywood County , 10 miles away Lower Whiterock Trail, Cocke County , 11 miles away Baxter Creek Trail, Haywood County , 12 miles away   National Parks Near Raven Fork: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 19 miles away Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 48 miles away