Tennessee whitewater - Hiwassee River, Great Smoky Mountains, Polk County Polk county, Appalachia Dam to Appalachia Powerhouse section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III-IV     4.8 miles   The average Tennessee whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master than those in other states, so better not forget that a large number of rivers in this state are not easy. The natural beauty of Polk County and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water attract people from near and far. Great exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors will make you glad you came. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking around here you'll find a large number of good rivers. This stretch is mid length, it's perfect for a one day     trip. The starting location is a short drive from Athens, as you can see on the road map further down. The beautiful Great Smoky Mountains scenery is an added bonus. 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. The Appalachia Dam to Appalachia Powerhouse stretch of Hiwassee River in Tennessee is 4.8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class III-IV section. The campgrounds here at Hiwassee River are pretty good. There are a few other stretches in this river system that can be paddled as well. Briefly about the general area: But wait, there's more amusing stuff to do in the Great Smoky Mountains. Hiwassee River is right by the Smith Mountain Trail. The Unicoi Mountain Trail offers hiking at its best, and Stone   Pile Gap is beyond doubt a nice location to explore. Throughout the summer months at Hiwassee River temperatures are commonly in the 80's, and through summer nights temperatures are in the 60's. Daytime highs all through the winter are in the 40's while the cold winter nights at Hiwassee River are in the 20's. All the water falling down from the sky makes Hiwassee River a wet site; through March this area sees the most rain, and October meanwhile is the driest month. Hiwassee River, Appalachia Dam to Appalachia Powerhouse road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: III-IV Length: 4.8 miles Average Gradient: 32 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.16759 Longitude: -84.29541 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.1833 Longitude: -84.4388 Paddler input for Hiwassee River, Tennessee: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Hiwassee River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee Local climate location: ATHENS 4 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Sleep Inn Etowah, Etowah 14 miles away Brand new Sleep Inn located in the heart of the Etowah Antique District and L and N Railroad Depot Museum. Conveniently located to Ocoee White Water rafting and Cherohala Skyway. It is a great stop ov... Comfort Inn & Suites, Blue Ridge 17 miles away Mild climate mountian beauty and friendly folks blend to create a life-style to entice you into staying at the newest and largest hotel in Fannin County and Blue Ridge GA. The Cohutta Wilderness has m... Blue Ridge - Days Inn, Blue Ridge 19 miles away The Days Inn Blue Ridge offers you the best of the North Georgia Mountain. We are the perfect location for a weekend getaway. There are festivals year round, river tubing and boating as well as the ...   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 Hiwassee River, Tennessee List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Hiwassee River, 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 Athens, Tennessee Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Athens, Tennessee, the metro area neareast to Hiwassee River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Hiwassee River.   Whitewater Near Hiwassee River: Wolf Creek, Polk County , 1 miles away, Class IV+ - 2.3 miles long (FR to Hiawassee River) Coker Creek, Polk County , 1 miles away, Class III-IV(V) - 6 miles long (Highway 68 to Hiwassee River) Turtletown Creek, Polk County , 2 miles away, Class IV-V - 4.2 miles long (Highway 68 to Hiwassee River) Hiwassee River, Polk County , 2 miles away, Class II - 5.8 miles long (Appalachia Powerhouse to Bridge at Reliance) Little Loss Creek, Polk County , 8 miles away, Class -blank- - 2 miles long (into Big Loss Creek) Ocoee River, Polk County , 10 miles away, Class III-IV - 5 miles long (Ocoee #3 to Ocoee #2 Dam) Goforth Creek, Polk County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 5 miles long (to Ocoee) Ocoee River, Polk County , 12 miles away, Class III+ - 5 miles long (#2 Dam to #2 Powerhouse) Gee Creek, Polk County , 12 miles away, Class IV-V - 1 miles long (hike up back to parking area) Tellico River, Monroe County , 13 miles away, Class I-III - 4.2 miles long (Ranger Station to Tellico Plains)   Ski Areas Near Hiwassee River: Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 63 miles away, 600 vertical feet Sky Valley, Georgia , 71 miles away, 210 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 74 miles away, 225 vertical feet Cataloochee, North Carolina , 91 miles away, 740 vertical feet Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 136 miles away, 700 vertical feet Ski Beech, North Carolina , 181 miles away, 830 vertical feet Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 182 miles away, 1200 vertical feet Hawksnest, North Carolina , 184 miles away, 619 vertical feet Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 195 miles away, 365 vertical feet   Hotels Near Hiwassee River: Sleep Inn Etowah, Etowah , 14 miles away Comfort Inn & Suites, Blue Ridge , 17 miles away Blue Ridge - Days Inn, Blue Ridge , 19 miles away Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Murphy, Nc, Murphy , 23 miles away Days Inn Murphy, Murphy , 24 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Hiwassee River: Coker Creek Village, Cokercreek, 8 miles away Tellico Plains Koa, Tellico Plains, 12 miles away Gee Creek Campground, Polk County, 13 miles away   Trails Near Hiwassee River: Unicoi Mountain Trail, Polk County , 1 miles away Smith Mountain Trail, Polk County , 3 miles away John Muir National Recreation Trail, Polk County , 4 miles away Unicoi Trail, Polk County , 4 miles away Ivy Trail, Monroe County , 5 miles away   National Parks Near Hiwassee River: Obed Wild & Scenic River, Wartburg - TN , 52 miles away Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 66 miles away   Lakes Near Hiwassee River