Tennessee whitewater - Big Creek, Great Smoky Mountains, Polk County

Polk county, FR221/Peavine Road to US64 section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-IV+     5.9 miles
  This stretch of Big Creek in Tennessee is 5.9 miles long and it is classified as a class III-IV+ section by American Whitewater. The starting location is a reasonable drive from Cleveland, as you can see on the road map further down. The wonderful Tennessee scenery and the playfulness of the water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. This is the only paddling stretch along Big Creek. The wild scenery of the Great Smoky Mountains is great. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very
    popular destination. The average whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master in this state than those in other states, so keep in mind that rivers here are less forgiving. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. This stretch is mid
length, it's perfect for a one day trip. Great exercise and spending some quality time in nature will make you glad you came. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking there are lots of good rivers for that around here.

Briefly about the general area:
There are perfect places to discover along the Indian Flat Trail; you can go for a hike on the Caney Creek Trail. High temperatures at Big Creek through the long summer days are in the 80's. Once the sun is down it dips down to the 60's. Through the winter highs are in the 40's, and
 
night lows at Big Creek all through the winter commonly plunge into the 20's.
All the water falling down from the sky makes Big Creek a wet spot; March is the month that gets the most rain, and the driest of the months is October. So much entertaining stuff to do in the Great Smoky Mountains, not sufficient time.

Big Creek, FR221/Peavine Road to US64 road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-IV+
Length: 5.9 miles
Average Gradient: 90 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 35.0466
Longitude: -84.5439

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 35.09569
Longitude: -84.547

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Current weather conditions at Big Creek, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
WXPort

Local climate location: CLEVELAND 5 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Etowah Red Roof Inn, Etowah
15 miles away
The Etowah Red Roof is newly renovated and conveniently located right off of the highway. This location offers a free continental breakfast and fitness facility. This location also offers free wireles...

Ramada Limited Of Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge
18 miles away
The Ramada Limited located in Blue Ridge, Georgia is just steps to the shores of Lake Blue Ridge and nestled in the North Georgia Mountains. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway and Historic Downtown Blue Ri...

Comfort Inn & Suites Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge
19 miles away
The Blue Ridge Lodge & Spa by Comfort Inn & Suites is located in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. Relax in our spacious accommodations with stylish decor. Our luxury amenities include...



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 Tennessee Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Tennessee.
Books about whitewater paddling on Big Creek, Tennessee
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Big Creek, Tennessee.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Tennessee

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Cleveland, Tennessee
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Cleveland, Tennessee, the metro area neareast to Big Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Big Creek.
 Whitewater Near Big Creek:
Ocoee River, Polk County , 2 miles away, Class III+ - 5 miles long (#2 Dam to #2 Powerhouse)
Goforth Creek, Polk County , 4 miles away, Class IV-V - 5 miles long (to Ocoee)
Ocoee River, Polk County , 5 miles away, Class III-IV - 5 miles long (Ocoee #3 to Ocoee #2 Dam)
Little Loss Creek, Polk County , 7 miles away, Class -blank- - 2 miles long (into Big Loss Creek)
Jack's River, Fannin County , 7 miles away, Class II-V - 17.2 miles long (Jones Mill/Bethlehem Church to Conasauga Confluence)
Gee Creek, Polk County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 1 miles long (hike up back to parking area)
Conasauga River, Murray County , 10 miles away, Class III-IV - 5.5 miles long (Chicken Coop Gap to East Cowpen Road)
Conasauga River, Murray County , 11 miles away, Class III-IV(V) - 10 miles long (Hickory Creek Trailhead to East Cowpen Road)
Conasauga River, Polk County , 11 miles away, Class II-III - 10.1 miles long (Jacks River to US 411 Bridge)
Hiwassee River, Polk County , 12 miles away, Class II - 5.8 miles long (Appalachia Powerhouse to Bridge at Reliance)
 Ski Areas Near Big Creek:
Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 77 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Sky Valley, Georgia , 82 miles away, 210 vertical feet
Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 85 miles away, 225 vertical feet
 Beaches Near Big Creek:
Parksville Beach, Polk County , 6 miles away
 Hotels Near Big Creek:
Etowah Red Roof Inn, Etowah , 15 miles away
Ramada Limited Of Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge , 18 miles away
Comfort Inn & Suites Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge , 19 miles away
Days Inn/ Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge , 20 miles away
Key West Inn Chatsworth, Chatsworth , 23 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Big Creek:
Sylco Campground, Polk County, 5 miles away
A and B Campground, Polk County, 6 miles away
Black Bear Cove, Benton, 9 miles away
 Trails Near Big Creek:
Indian Flat Trail, Polk County , 1 miles away
Caney Creek Trail, Polk County , 1 miles away
Hogback Trail, Polk County , 1 miles away
Sylco Creek Trail, Polk County , 2 miles away
Low Gap Trail, Polk County , 3 miles away
 National Parks Near Big Creek:
Obed Wild & Scenic River, Wartburg - TN , 56 miles away
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Atlanta - GA , 63 miles away
 Lakes Near Big Creek

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Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater