Tennessee whitewater - Hiwassee River, Great Smoky Mountains, Polk County Polk county, Appalachia Powerhouse to Bridge at Reliance section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II     5.8 miles   The starting point is not too far from Athens, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. The Appalachia Powerhouse to Bridge at Reliance stretch of Hiwassee River in Polk County is 5.8 miles long and has been rated as a class II section by American Whitewater. Getting a good workout and spending some quality time in nature will have you coming back for more. The beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains is a great plus for this river. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way there are lots     of good rivers for that around here. This is one of a small number of paddling stretches in this river system, there are a few others too. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. This is a pretty decent length section, good for a one day paddling trip. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside Tennessee you might find the rivers here a bit more challenging, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that lots of rivers here are not for beginners. The beautiful scenery of Polk County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream have people coming here. Briefly about the general area: Summertime highs at Hiwassee River usually tend to be in the 80's.   Summer nighttime lows plunge down to the 60's. For the duration of the winter highs are in the 40's with winter lows in the 20's overnight here at Hiwassee River. Not enough hours in a day to enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains. Have a fine hiking adventure along the John Muir National Recreation Trail. Near Hiwassee River you find The Narrows which is a splendid place to go to, and hiking along the Smith Mountain Trail is nice fun. Hiwassee River sees pretty high levels of rainfall; March is when you get the most rain here, and the driest of the months is October. Hiwassee River, Appalachia Powerhouse to Bridge at Reliance road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II Length: 5.8 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.16694 Longitude: -84.29612 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.18583 Longitude: -84.50056 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 5 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Sleep Inn Etowah, Etowah 12 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 18 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 , 2 miles away, Class IV+ - 2.3 miles long (FR to Hiawassee River) Hiwassee River, Polk County , 2 miles away, Class III-IV - 4.8 miles long (Appalachia Dam to Appalachia Powerhouse) Coker Creek, Polk County , 2 miles away, Class III-IV(V) - 6 miles long (Highway 68 to Hiwassee River) Turtletown Creek, Polk County , 4 miles away, Class IV-V - 4.2 miles long (Highway 68 to Hiwassee River) Little Loss Creek, Polk County , 6 miles away, Class -blank- - 2 miles long (into Big Loss Creek) Goforth Creek, Polk County , 8 miles away, Class IV-V - 5 miles long (to Ocoee) Ocoee River, Polk County , 8 miles away, Class III-IV - 5 miles long (Ocoee #3 to Ocoee #2 Dam) Ocoee River, Polk County , 10 miles away, Class III+ - 5 miles long (#2 Dam to #2 Powerhouse) Gee Creek, Polk County , 10 miles away, Class IV-V - 1 miles long (hike up back to parking area) Big Creek, Polk County , 12 miles away, Class III-IV+ - 5.9 miles long (FR221/Peavine Road to US64)   Ski Areas Near Hiwassee River: Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 65 miles away, 600 vertical feet Sky Valley, Georgia , 73 miles away, 210 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 76 miles away, 225 vertical feet Cataloochee, North Carolina , 93 miles away, 740 vertical feet Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 138 miles away, 700 vertical feet Ski Beech, North Carolina , 183 miles away, 830 vertical feet Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 184 miles away, 1200 vertical feet Hawksnest, North Carolina , 186 miles away, 619 vertical feet Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 197 miles away, 365 vertical feet   Hotels Near Hiwassee River: Sleep Inn Etowah, Etowah , 12 miles away Comfort Inn & Suites, Blue Ridge , 18 miles away Blue Ridge - Days Inn, Blue Ridge , 19 miles away Athens-Days Inn, Athens , 23 miles away Athens Super 8 Motel, Athens , 23 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Hiwassee River: Coker Creek Village, Cokercreek, 9 miles away Gee Creek Campground, Polk County, 11 miles away Tellico Plains Koa, Tellico Plains, 13 miles away   Trails Near Hiwassee River: Smith Mountain Trail, Polk County , 1 miles away John Muir National Recreation Trail, Polk County , 1 miles away Unicoi Mountain Trail, Polk County , 2 miles away Ivy Trail, Monroe County , 5 miles away Unicoi Trail, Polk County , 6 miles away   National Parks Near Hiwassee River: Obed Wild & Scenic River, Wartburg - TN , 52 miles away Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Atlanta - GA , 68 miles away