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. 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. Best Western Great Smokies Inn, Cherokee 6 miles away Stay at this Cherokee, North Carolina hotel just one mile from Smoky Mountain National Park. The Best Western Great Smokies Inn is a unique log cabin style hotel that is conveniently located with ea... Baymont Inn Cherokee/Smoky Mountains, Cherokee 7 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 ... Cherokee NC Days INN, Cherokee 7 miles away Walk to Harrah's Cherokee Casino directly across the Street Conveniently located in the heart of the Smokey Mountains Free Daybreak Lite Continental Breakfast Close to white Water Rafting, Mount...   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 Laurel, North Carolina , 55 miles away, 700 vertical feet Ski Beech, North Carolina , 101 miles away, 830 vertical feet Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 101 miles away, 1200 vertical feet Hawksnest, North Carolina , 103 miles away, 619 vertical feet Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 115 miles away, 365 vertical feet Winterplace, West Virginia , 186 miles away, 603 vertical feet   Hotels Near Raven Fork: Best Western Great Smokies Inn, Cherokee , 6 miles away Baymont Inn Cherokee/Smoky Mountains, Cherokee , 7 miles away Cherokee NC Days INN, Cherokee , 7 miles away Fairfield Inn And Suites Cherokee, Cherokee , 7 miles away Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites CHEROKEE/CASINO, Cherokee , 8 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Raven Fork: Round Bottom Campground, Swain County, 3 miles away Yogi In The Smokies, Cherokee, 5 miles away Balsam Mountain Campground, Swain County, 5 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