Tennessee whitewater - Little River, Great Smoky Mountains, Blount County Blount county, Elbow to Townsend section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     2.6 miles   Correction: The run described here is actually from the Elbow to the Y. It is incorrectly labeled Elbow to Townsend. There is another run from the Y to Townsend, but there is a low level Dam about 2 miles from the Y that has to be portaged. This run is about 4 miles. It has Class 2+ rapids at the start and gradually gets easier till it is Class 1 as the trip approaches Townsend. Says Jim Knowles This is a very scenic run.  The Little River run through The Smoky Mountain National Park along Little River Road. The put-in is 2.6 miles     from the Y driving towards the Sinks.  You should go with a group of experience paddlers that have run this section before.  There is a rapid called Mary's Rock that is Class 2+ rapid with a deadly undercut rock that has nearly trapped unaware paddlers under water.  This rapid should be portage by most paddlers.  Advanced paddlers should not have any difficulties making the S-turn that is required to successfully run this rapid. There are probably 8-10 Class 2 rapids to go along with the 5-6 rapids that are Class 2+ or 3.  This run is is runnable in the wet season (Fall to Winter).  You need a minimum 600 cfs on the Little River Maryville gauge. Says Jim Knowles This section of Little River in Blount County is 2.6 miles long and is a class II-III section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. The nature scenery   of Blount County and the playfulness of the water are in themselves reasons enough to come here to paddle. This is not the only paddling section in this river system, there are others too. No need to look hard for hotels, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. The starting location is a short drive from Sevierville, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. Getting some good exercise and just hanging out with mother nature have people coming from far and near. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in Tennessee are harder than the national norm, so if you're not from around here don't forget that many runs in this state are not easy. This is a short paddling stretch so no need to bring snacks. The Great Smoky Mountains scenery is wonderful. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling rivers. Briefly about the general area: Near Little River you find the Anthony Creek Trail which is a splendid hiking trail, and while you're here at Little River, checking out Cedar Bluff is a must. Little River is a wet place that gets a great deal of precipitation; the month of March is the wettest with most of the rain; the driest month of the year is October. During the warm days of summer highs here at Little River get into the 80's with overnight lows in the 60's. High temperatures during the winter are normally in the 40's, and night lows in the 20's for Little River. If you want a great time in the great outdoors just come on up to the Great Smoky Mountains. It's always fine to stop at Cave Spring, and a glorious site is Orchard Hollow. If you come to this river you will have a good time for sure. Going for a hike on the Vista Trail is always a good adventure. Little River, Elbow to Townsend road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: II-III Length: 2.6 miles Average Gradient: 20 fpm    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.65969 Longitude: -83.70777 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 35.67722 Longitude: -83.75806 Paddler input for Little River, Tennessee: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Little River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee Local climate location: KNOXVILLE UNIV OF TN 13 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Econo Lodge Parkside, Townsend The Econo Lodge Parkside is ideally located within 20 miles of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, on the peaceful side of the Smoky Mountains. This hotel is convenient to Maryville College, the University... Dancing Bear Lodge, Townsend 3 miles away Failure to cancel 15 days prior to 4 PM EST day of arrival date will result in forfeiture of deposit. Deposit must be received at time of booking and must include first night stay plus tax. Credit car... Highland Manor Inn And Conference Center, Townsend 4 miles away Family operated, country-inn atmosphere. 49 rooms. Quiet, hilltop setting. Beautiful Mountain view. Exceptionally clean, well maintained rooms. Private Balconies. Whirlpools. Fireplaces. Compli...   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 Little River, Tennessee List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Little 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 Sevierville, Tennessee Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Sevierville, Tennessee, the metro area neareast to Little River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Little River.   Whitewater Near Little River: Little River - West Prong, Blount County , 2 miles away, Class III-IV - 3 miles long (Confluence with Laurel Creek to West Prong of Little River) Little River, Sevier County , 3 miles away, Class III-IV+ - 3.5 miles long (Sinks to Elbow) Little River - West Prong, Blount County , 3 miles away, Class III-IV - 6 miles long (Cold Water Knob to Cades Cove Road) Little River - Middle Prong, Blount County , 5 miles away, Class III-IV - 3 miles long (Lynn Camp and Thunderhead Prong Confluence to Tremont Institute) Little River, Blount County , 5 miles away, Class II - 10 miles long (Townsend to Dam at Melrose) Thunderhead Prong, Blount County , 5 miles away, Class IV - 1.5 miles long (to confluence with Lynn Camp Prong) Lynn Camp Prong, Blount County , 6 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 3 miles long (to confluence with Thunderhead Prong) Little River, Sevier/Blount County , 8 miles away, Class II-III - 7 miles long (Bridge at Elkmont to Sinks) Cove Creek, Sevier County , 9 miles away, Class II-IV - 1.5 miles long (Cascades) Little River, Sevier County , 13 miles away, Class III-IV - 2.2 miles long (Huskey Gap Branch to Elkmont C.Highway)   Ski Areas Near Little River: Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 12 miles away, 600 vertical feet Cataloochee, North Carolina , 45 miles away, 740 vertical feet Sky Valley, Georgia , 47 miles away, 210 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 47 miles away, 225 vertical feet Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 86 miles away, 700 vertical feet   Hotels Near Little River: Econo Lodge Parkside, Townsend , 1 miles away Dancing Bear Lodge, Townsend , 3 miles away Highland Manor Inn And Conference Center, Townsend , 4 miles away Smoky Getaways, Sevierville , 9 miles away Summit of Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg , 12 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Little River: Little River Village Campground, Townsend, 1 miles away Lazy Daze Campground, Townsend, 1 miles away Mountaineer Campground, Townsend, 1 miles away   Trails Near Little River: Anthony Creek Trail, Blount County , 5 miles away Vista Trail, Blount County , 5 miles away Rich Mountain Trail, Blount County , 5 miles away Russell Field Trail, Blount County , 6 miles away Meigs Mountain Trail, Sevier County , 6 miles away   National Parks Near Little River: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 16 miles away Obed Wild & Scenic River, Wartburg - TN , 65 miles away