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   This section of Hiwassee River in Polk County is 4.8 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class III-IV section of whitewater. If you're coming from Athens it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking here in Tennessee are often tougher than in other states, so if you're not from around here don't forget that many of the rivers here are not very forgiving. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. The     scenic beauty of Tennessee and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. 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. The beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains is a great plus for this river. There are some good stretches to paddle in this river system, the Appalachia Dam to Appalachia Powerhouse stretch is one of them. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with plenty of spots for that. On this section you do get some distance, suitable for an afternoon trip. Great exercise and spending some quality time in nature are sure to keep you coming back for more. Briefly about the general area: For the period of the warm days of summer at Hiwassee River highs   are typically in the 80's. When the night sets in temperatures dip down into the 60's. The cold days of the winter come with highs in the 40's, and after the sun is down during the winter temperatures at Hiwassee River fall into the 20's. Hiwassee River frequently gets lots of rain; the wettest month of the year is commonly March, that's the one that rains the most, and October is when it's the driest. Don't leave Hiwassee River without first going for a hike along the Smith Mountain Trail, and Stone Pile Gap is another magnificent spot to go to close by. Just can't get enough of the Great Smoky Mountains. Go for a hike on the Unicoi Mountain Trail. 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. Comfort Inn & Suites, Blue Ridge 17 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... Blue Ridge - Days Inn, Blue Ridge 17 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 ... 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...   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: Comfort Inn & Suites, Blue Ridge , 17 miles away Blue Ridge - Days Inn, Blue Ridge , 17 miles away Ramada Limited Of Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge , 18 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 Cuddle Up Cabin Rentals, Mc Caysville, 11 miles away Tellico Plains Koa, Tellico Plains, 12 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