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 The Elbow to Townsend stretch of Little River in Blount County is 2.6 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class II-III section.   The scenic beauty of Blount County and the cool fresh water make the trip here worthwhile. The rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking in this state are often tougher than in other states, so better not forget that rivers here are less forgiving. A good workout and just being out on the river for a while have a lot of people coming here. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way there are lots of good places for that around here. The campgrounds here at Little River are pretty good. The Elbow to Townsend section is one of many paddling sections in this river system. The put-in location is a reasonable drive from Sevierville, as you can see on the road map further down. This is a pretty short section so you'd better be prepared to walk your kayak back to put-in a few times. When you're paddling down a Great Smoky Mountains river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. No need to look hard for hotels, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. Briefly about the general area: Near Little River you locate the Anthony Creek Trail which is a nice hiking trail, and Orchard Hollow is also a great place to look at. Little River sees pretty high levels of precipitation; throughout March this area sees the most rain; October is when it's the driest. At Little River during the summer months highs are in the 80's, and through the night it cools down to the 60's. The cold days of the wintertime come with highs in the 40's, and after the sun is down during the wintertime temperatures at Little River drop into the 20's. That right there is lots of fun stuff already but it goes on, the Great Smoky Mountains has it all. Interesting geology is available here; Cedar Bluff is near Little River; Cave Spring is an inspiring location to explore while you're here. This river has it all. Going for a hike on the Vista Trail is always a wonderful 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 Inn & Suites 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 Laurel, North Carolina , 86 miles away, 700 vertical feet Ski Beech, North Carolina , 131 miles away, 830 vertical feet Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 132 miles away, 1200 vertical feet Hawksnest, North Carolina , 134 miles away, 619 vertical feet Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 146 miles away, 365 vertical feet Spicy Run Mountain, Ohio , 195 miles away, 600 vertical feet   Hotels Near Little River: Econo Lodge Inn & Suites 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 Laurel Crest, Pigeon Forge , 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