Tennessee whitewater - Turtletown Creek, Great Smoky Mountains, Polk County

Polk county, Highway 68 to Hiwassee River section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS IV-V     4.2 miles
  The natural beauty of Polk County and the cool fresh water make the trip here worthwhile. This section of Turtletown Creek in Tennessee is 4.2 miles long and it is classified as a class IV-V section by American Whitewater. Getting your paddling muscles activated and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great attractions for lots of people. The average whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit harder to master in this state than those in other states, so don't forget that lots of rivers here are not for beginners. The Highway 68 to
    Hiwassee River stretch is the only paddling stretch along Turtletown Creek. The beautiful Great Smoky Mountains scenery is an added bonus. There's camping available near Turtletown Creek. This stretch has has enough mileage, it's perfect for a one day trip. The nearby hotels are
a bit away from the river, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with plenty of spots for that. If you're coming from Athens it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page.

Briefly about the general area:
Stone Pile Gap is in the vicinity of Turtletown Creek and is definitely a perfect spot to check out, and don't leave Turtletown Creek without first going for a hike along
 
the Unicoi Trail. That right there is plenty of enjoyable things already but it goes on, the Great Smoky Mountains has it all. Go for a hike on the Unicoi Mountain Trail.
During the days of summer at Turtletown Creek highs are commonly in the 80's while night lows are frequently in the 60's. The cold days of the winter come with highs in the 40's; throughout the dark hours in the winter at Turtletown Creek temperatures fall to the 20's. Turtletown Creek gets a lot of water; the month of March is the wettest with most of the rain, and the driest month is October.

Turtletown Creek, Highway 68 to Hiwassee River road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: IV-V
Length: 4.2 miles
Average Gradient: 107 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 35.1454
Longitude: -84.33101

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 35.1697
Longitude: -84.36471

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Current weather conditions at Turtletown Creek, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
WXPort

Local climate location: ATHENS 5 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Etowah Red Roof Inn, Etowah
16 miles away
The Etowah Red Roof is newly renovated and conveniently located right off of the highway. This location offers a free continental breakfast and fitness facility. This location also offers free wireles...

Days Inn/ Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge
16 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 ...

Comfort Inn & Suites Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge
16 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...



OTHER_INFO
  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 Turtletown Creek, Tennessee
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Turtletown Creek, 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 Turtletown Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Turtletown Creek.
 Whitewater Near Turtletown Creek:
Hiwassee River, Polk County , 2 miles away, Class III-IV - 4.8 miles long (Appalachia Dam to Appalachia Powerhouse)
Wolf Creek, Polk County , 2 miles away, Class IV+ - 2.3 miles long (FR to Hiawassee River)
Coker Creek, Polk County , 3 miles away, Class III-IV(V) - 6 miles long (Highway 68 to Hiwassee River)
Hiwassee River, Polk County , 4 miles away, Class II - 5.8 miles long (Appalachia Powerhouse to Bridge at Reliance)
Little Loss Creek, Polk County , 9 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 , 11 miles away, Class IV-V - 5 miles long (to Ocoee)
Tellico River, Monroe County , 13 miles away, Class I-III - 4.2 miles long (Ranger Station to Tellico Plains)
Wildcat Creek, Monroe County , 13 miles away, Class III-IV+ - 4 miles long (Source to Tellico River)
Ocoee River, Polk County , 13 miles away, Class III+ - 5 miles long (#2 Dam to #2 Powerhouse)
 Ski Areas Near Turtletown Creek:
Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 63 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Sky Valley, Georgia , 69 miles away, 210 vertical feet
Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 72 miles away, 225 vertical feet
Cataloochee, North Carolina , 90 miles away, 740 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Turtletown Creek:
Etowah Red Roof Inn, Etowah , 16 miles away
Days Inn/ Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge , 16 miles away
Comfort Inn & Suites Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge , 16 miles away
Ramada Limited Of Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge , 17 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites MURPHY, Murphy , 21 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Turtletown Creek:
Coker Creek Village, Cokercreek, 7 miles away
Cuddle Up Cabin Rentals, Mc Caysville, 10 miles away
Tellico Plains Koa, Tellico Plains, 13 miles away
 Trails Near Turtletown Creek:
Unicoi Mountain Trail, Polk County , 3 miles away
Unicoi Trail, Polk County , 3 miles away
Smith Mountain Trail, Polk County , 4 miles away
John Muir National Recreation Trail, Polk County , 5 miles away
Ivy Trail, Monroe County , 7 miles away
 National Parks Near Turtletown Creek:
Obed Wild & Scenic River, Wartburg - TN , 54 miles away
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 66 miles away

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Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater