Virginia whitewater - Powell River - South Fork, Cumberland Plateau Mountains, Wise County

Wise county, South Fork Gorge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS V+     4 miles
 
I've been recording climate data in this area for 2 decades.The South Fork of the Powell River Gorge is one of the deepest chasms in all of Virginia, being 2000 vertical feet deep. It drains the highcountry southwest of the Big Cherry Basin of the High Knob massif...the greatest landform of far southwestern Virginia that sprawls across southern Wise County, northern Scott County, and into the extreme northeastern end of Lee County. This is a high precipitation area; although, 2007 has been the driest on record with 40-46'' across the upper elevations (
    if you will check that is still above the annual average of many places in Virginia ). Says Wayne Browning

The put-in location is a short drive from Kingsport-Bristol, as you can see on the road map further down. The natural beauty of Wise County and the water flowing gracefully
down Powell River - South Fork will make you feel great. The South Fork Gorge stretch of Powell River - South Fork is 4 miles long and is a class V+ section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. A bit of exercise and spending some quality time in nature are great attractions for lots of people. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in Virginia is often easier than elsewhere, so better not forget that many of the rivers here are not very demanding. There are plenty of hotels here if you want to spend a night, and if you make reservations in advance you're  
all set. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling places. This river system is full of great paddling sections, the South Fork Gorge section is just one of them. This section is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, it's perfect for a one day trip. The beauty of the Cumberland Plateau Mountains is a great plus for this river.

Briefly about the general area:
Long Hollow is a good site to go to next to Powell River - South Fork, and a trip to Powell River - South Fork wouldn't be complete without taking a look at Big Spring. At Powell River - South Fork all through the months of summer highs are in the 80's, and the night is fairly chillier of course, usually in the 60's. During the winter the highs are generally in the 40's; winter nights come with lows in the 20's to Powell River - South Fork. So much cool stuff to do here in the Cumberland Plateau Mountains, too great to be true.
The amount of rain that falls at Powell River - South Fork is close to the national average; of all the months in a year March is the one with the most rain, and October on the other hand is the driest.

Powell River - South Fork, South Fork Gorge road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: V+
Length: 4 miles
Average Gradient: 330 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.83409
Longitude: -82.70411

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 36.84429
Longitude: -82.70961

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Current weather conditions at Powell River - South Fork, Cumberland Plateau Mountains, Virginia
WXPort

Local climate location: WISE 29 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Comfort Inn Big Stone Gap, Big Stone Gap
3 miles away
The Comfort Inn offers free wireless Internet access in all rooms and public areas and a free deluxe continental breakfast with gravy and biscuits and hot fresh Belgium waffles. The property is five m...

Holiday Inn NORTON, Norton
7 miles away
New Hotel is Located in the Heart of Norton's Business DistrictTravelers looking for lodging in Norton, VA can enjoy a comfortable stay at the Holiday Inn hotel in Norton VA, located just off Highway ...

Inn at Norton, Norton
8 miles away
Located in the Appalachian Mountains, The Inn at Norton, is surrounded by scenic, recreational, cultural, and historic attractions. Whether you are in town for business or pleasure, there are a multit...



OTHER_INFO
  Cumberland Plateau Mountains Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Cumberland Plateau Mountains.

Cumberland Plateau Mountains Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Cumberland Plateau Mountains.

All Virginia Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Virginia.
Books about whitewater paddling on Powell River - South Fork, Virginia
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Powell River - South Fork, Virginia.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Virginia

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Kingsport-Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Kingsport-Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, the metro area neareast to Powell River - South Fork. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Powell River - South Fork.
 Whitewater Near Powell River - South Fork:
Cove Creek, Scott County , 2 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 2 miles long (Cove Creek Gorge to Stinking Creek confluence)
Powell River, Wise County , 4 miles away, Class II-IV - 3 miles long (Appalachia to Big Stone Gap)
Stock Creek, Scott County , 4 miles away, Class III-IV+(V) - 1.5 miles long (Upper Gorge)
Big Stony - Devil's Fork, Scott County , 5 miles away, Class III+(IV) - 1.5 miles long (Straight Fork Confluence to Big Stony Takeout)
Big Stony Creek, Scott County , 7 miles away, Class III - 4 miles long (Chimney Rock Fork to Route 653 Bridge)
Big Stony - Mountain Fork, Scott County , 8 miles away, Class V+ - 4 miles long (Mountain Fork to Chimney Rock Fork)
Stock Creek, Scott County , 9 miles away, Class II-III - 1.8 miles long (Natural Tunnel State Park)
Powell River, Wise/ Lee County , 10 miles away, Class I-II - 12 miles long (Big Stone Gap to Dryden)
Little Stony Creek, Scott County , 16 miles away, Class V+ - 3 miles long (Little Stony Falls to Hanging Rock)
Guest River, Wise/ Scott County , 17 miles away, Class IV-V - 8 miles long (Rt. 72 to Clinch River)
 Ski Areas Near Powell River - South Fork:
Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 51 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Ski Beech, North Carolina , 68 miles away, 830 vertical feet
Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 71 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
Hawksnest, North Carolina , 72 miles away, 619 vertical feet
Cataloochee, North Carolina , 75 miles away, 740 vertical feet
Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 81 miles away, 365 vertical feet
Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 86 miles away, 600 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Powell River - South Fork:
Comfort Inn Big Stone Gap, Big Stone Gap , 3 miles away
Holiday Inn NORTON, Norton , 7 miles away
Inn at Norton, Norton , 8 miles away
Days Inn Norton VA, Norton , 9 miles away
Super 8 Norton VA, Norton , 9 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Powell River - South Fork:
Jessie Lea Recreational Vehicle Park-Campground, Big Stone Gap, 6 miles away
Bark Campground, Scott County, 12 miles away
Natural Tunnel State Park, Duffield, 12 miles away
 National Parks Near Powell River - South Fork:
Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 69 miles away
 Lakes Near Powell River - South Fork

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater