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   This section of Hiwassee River is 5.8 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II section. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in Tennessee is often more difficult than elsewhere, so keep in mind that many of the sections here are not safe for beginners. Getting a good workout and just being out on the river for a while have a lot of people coming here. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. The wild scenery of the Great Smoky Mountains is great. There are campgrounds quite     near the river where you can camp. This stretch is mid length, good for a one day paddling trip. The Appalachia Powerhouse to Bridge at Reliance section is one of a few paddling sections in this river system. The starting location is a reasonable drive from Athens, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking in this general area you'll find lots of paddling spots. The wonderful Polk County scenery and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. Briefly about the general area: For the period of the summertime months at Hiwassee River temperatures are typically in the 80's. During the dark hours of summer temperatures plunge down into the 60's. During the winter   highs are ordinarily in the 40's, and overnight lows in the 20's for Hiwassee River. And if that's not enough there's plenty more cool things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains. There's great hiking along the Smith Mountain Trail. A large amount of precipitation falls at Hiwassee River; March is the wettest month with most rain; October meanwhile is the driest month. Hiking is a popular thing to do around Hiwassee River; John Muir National Recreation Trail is a tremendous local trail, and needless to say, A journey to The Narrows is always fun. 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. Comfort Inn & Suites, Blue Ridge 18 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 18 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 , 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: Comfort Inn & Suites, Blue Ridge , 18 miles away Blue Ridge - Days Inn, Blue Ridge , 18 miles away Ramada Limited Of Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge , 18 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 Cuddle Up Cabin Rentals, Mc Caysville, 11 miles away Gee Creek Campground, Polk County, 11 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