North Carolina whitewater - Straight Fork, Great Smoky Mountains, Swain County

Swain county, Round Bottom to Raven Fork section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-IV     4.6 miles
  Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in North Carolina are easier than the national norm, so if you're not from around here don't forget that a lot of the rivers here are suitable for beginners. The starting location is a reasonable drive from Newport, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The scenic beauty of North Carolina and the cool fresh water will make you feel great. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are lots of good places for that around here. You can pitch a tent or park your
    RV at a nearby campground. There are no other sections to paddle along Straight Fork than the Round Bottom to Raven Fork section. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. This
stretch of Straight Fork in North Carolina is 4.6 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class III-IV section. Getting some good exercise and just hanging out with mother nature will have you coming back for more. On this section you do get some distance, good for a one day paddling trip. The river winds through the Great Smoky Mountains and you get great scenery.

Briefly about the general area:
Near Straight Fork you hit upon brilliant places like Brushy Gap. During the warmest time of the year at Straight Fork highs are typically
 
in the 80's while overnight lows are commonly in the 60's. For the period of the winter highs are usually in the 40's, and night lows in the 20's for Straight Fork.
Lots of precipitation falls at Straight Fork; the wettest month of the year is usually May, that's the one that rains the most while October is frequently the driest month.

Straight Fork, Round Bottom to Raven Fork road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-IV
Length: 4.6 miles
Average Gradient: 136 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 35.62179
Longitude: -83.21141

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 35.56549
Longitude: -83.2455

Paddler input for Straight Fork, North Carolina:

Submit Input:
Your Name:
Write or Paste Input here:

Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines




Current weather conditions at Straight Fork, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina
WXPort

Local climate location: NEWPORT 7 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Best Western Great Smokies Inn, Cherokee
8 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...

Cherokee NC Days INN, Cherokee
9 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...

Baymont Inn Cherokee/Smoky Mountains, Cherokee
9 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 ...



OTHER_INFO
  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 Straight Fork, North Carolina
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Straight 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 Straight Fork. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Straight Fork.
 Whitewater Near Straight Fork:
Raven Fork, Swain County , 2 miles away, Class V+ - 4 miles long (Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork)
Raven Fork, Swain County , 4 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 8 miles long (Job Corps Bridge to Confluence with Oconalufftee)
Oconaluftee River, Swain County , 8 miles away, Class III - 4 miles long (Quiet Walkway to Smokemont)
Oconaluftee River, Swain County , 8 miles away, Class II-III - 11.5 miles long (Smokemont Campground to Birdtown)
Big Creek, Haywood County , 10 miles away, Class V - 5.4 miles long (Walnut Bottom to NPS Campground)
Little Pigeon River - Middle Prong, Sevier County , 10 miles away, Class V - 1.4 miles long (Ramsey Prong/ Eagle Rocks Prong confluence to Bridge at Trailhead)
Cataloochee Creek, Haywood County , 12 miles away, Class II-III(IV) - 6 miles long (Catalooche Campground to Waterville Lake)
Little Pigeon River - Middle Prong, Sevier County , 12 miles away, Class IV+ - 1.5 miles long (Ramsey's Cascade trailhead to Porters Creek confluence)
Scotts Creek, Jackson County , 12 miles away, Class III-IV(V) - 2 miles long (Willets-Ochre Hill to Addie)
Tuckasegee River, Jackson County , 12 miles away, Class II(III) - 5 miles long (Dillsboro to Route 1392)
 Ski Areas Near Straight Fork:
Cataloochee, North Carolina , 10 miles away, 740 vertical feet
Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 24 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 33 miles away, 225 vertical feet
Sky Valley, Georgia , 36 miles away, 210 vertical feet
Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 54 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Ski Beech, North Carolina , 99 miles away, 830 vertical feet
Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 100 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
Hawksnest, North Carolina , 102 miles away, 619 vertical feet
Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 113 miles away, 365 vertical feet
Winterplace, West Virginia , 184 miles away, 603 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Straight Fork:
Best Western Great Smokies Inn, Cherokee , 8 miles away
Cherokee NC Days INN, Cherokee , 9 miles away
Baymont Inn Cherokee/Smoky Mountains, Cherokee , 9 miles away
Fairfield Inn And Suites Cherokee, Cherokee , 9 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites CHEROKEE/CASINO, Cherokee , 9 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Straight Fork:
Round Bottom Campground, Swain County, 2 miles away
Balsam Mountain Campground, Swain County, 4 miles away
Yogi In The Smokies, Cherokee, 7 miles away
 Trails Near Straight Fork:
Palmer Creek Trail, Haywood County , 8 miles away
Caldwell Fork Trail, Haywood County , 9 miles away
Messer Trail, Cocke County , 9 miles away
Lower Whiterock Trail, Cocke County , 10 miles away
Baxter Creek Trail, Haywood County , 11 miles away
 National Parks Near Straight Fork:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 21 miles away
Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 46 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater