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
  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 the rivers in this state are less demanding. The natural beauty of North Carolina and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water beats anything. The Round Bottom to Raven Fork section of Straight Fork is 4.6 miles long and it is classified as a class III-IV section by American Whitewater. The starting point is not too far from Newport, as you can see on the road map further down. A good workout
    and just hanging out with mother nature are great reasons to come. Whitewater paddling here in the Great Smoky Mountains is a great experience. This section is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, good for a one day paddling trip. The campgrounds here at Straight Fork are
pretty good. If you'll be staying in a hotel you're in luck, lodging is available very near the river, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling spots. The Round Bottom to Raven Fork section is the only paddling section along Straight Fork.

Briefly about the general area:
Summer at Straight Fork arrives with high temperatures in the 80's, and during summer nights temperatures are in the 60's. For the period of
 
the winter highs are in the 40's while Straight Fork overnight low temperatures all through the wintertime are in the 20's. Straight Fork is a pretty wet place commonly with much rain; May is the month that gets the most rain; October meanwhile is the driest month.
Near Straight Fork you discover Brushy Gap which is a good place to explore.

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

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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.

Microtel Inn and Suites Cherokee, Cherokee
5 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 Louisville-East, Louisville
5 miles away
This Hawthorn Suites 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 to the Loui...

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...



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:
Microtel Inn and Suites Cherokee, Cherokee , 5 miles away
Hawthorn Suites Louisville-East, Louisville , 5 miles away
Best Western Great Smokies Inn, Cherokee , 8 miles away
Baymont Inn Cherokee/Smoky Mountains, Cherokee , 8 miles away
Cherokee NC Days INN, Cherokee , 9 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Straight Fork:
Round Bottom Campground, Swain County, 2 miles away
Indian Creek Campground, Cherokee, 2 miles away
Balsam Mountain Campground, Swain County, 4 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