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 scenic beauty of Swain County and the playfulness of the water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. The average North Carolina whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be easier to run than those in other states, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that many of the rivers here are not very demanding. The starting location is a short drive from Newport, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. There's camping available near Raven Fork. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking,
either way around here you'll find a large number of good places. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Getting your paddling muscles activated and just being out on the river
for a while are sure to keep you coming back for more. This is a pretty decent length section, it's good length for a morning trip. This river system has a few good paddling stretches and the Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork section is one of them. The beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains is a great plus for this river. The Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork stretch of Raven Fork in Swain County is 4 miles long and is a class V+ section of whitewater according to American Whitewater.
Briefly about the general area: The high level
of rainfall makes Raven Fork a reasonably wet place; the month of March is the wettest with most of the rain, and October is the month with the least moisture. At Raven Fork through the summer months highs are in the 80's, and the night is quite cooler of course, frequently in
the 60's. Throughout the wintertime this place gets highs in the 40's, and nighttime lows at Raven Fork through the winter generally plunge into the 20's. The Gorges is in the vicinity of Raven Fork and is positively a glorious place to explore.
6 miles away
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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 CarolinaWhitewater 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.
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)