North Carolina whitewater, Raven Fork Swain county, Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS V+     4 miles   The nature scenery of North Carolina and the cool fresh water have people coming here. The Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork stretch of Raven Fork is 4 miles long and is a class V+ section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. On this section you do get some distance, you can easily run it on an afternoon. If you've been out of state whitewater rafting and kayaking you might find the rivers here more forgiving, so if you're     visiting here do keep in mind that many of the rivers in this state are not very demanding. You might be into whitewater rafting or kayaking or both, doesn't matter, in this general area you'll find lots of paddling rivers. You can pitch a tent or park your RV at a nearby campground. You might have to settle for a hotel a bit away from the river if you want to stay the night, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Great exercise and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great reasons to come. The Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork section is one of a few paddling sections in this river system. If you're coming from   Newport it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. When you're paddling down a Great Smoky Mountains river like this one you always get great scenery along the way too. Briefly about the general area: Good hiking is available along the Messer Trail; The Gorges is another nice location to have a look at close by. But wait, there's more amusing stuff to do in the Great Smoky Mountains. You're sure to bump into some smiling people from Whittier here, and don't leave Raven Fork without first going for a hike along the Palmer Creek Trail. Raven Fork, Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Raven Fork.   Whitewater Near Raven Fork: Raven Fork, Swain County, 1 miles away       Class II-III+(IV) - 8 miles long (Job Corps Bridge to Confluence with Oconalufftee) Raven Fork, Swain County, 1 miles away       Class V+ - 4 miles long (Gorges to Confluence with Straight Fork) Straight Fork, Swain County, 3 miles away       Class III-IV - 4.6 miles long (Round Bottom to Raven Fork) Whitewater Outfitter - Smokey Mountain Tubing, Swain County, 4 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Oconaluftee River, Swain County, 4 miles away       Class II-III - 11.5 miles long (Smokemont Campground to Birdtown) Oconaluftee River, Swain County, 8 miles away       Class III - 4 miles long (Quiet Walkway to Smokemont) Whitewater Outfitter - Smokey Mountain Tubing, Swain County, 8 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Little Pigeon River - Middle Prong, Sevier County, 9 miles away       Class V - 1.4 miles long (Ramsey Prong/ Eagle Rocks Prong confluence to Bridge at Trailhead) Big Creek, Haywood County, 10 miles away       Class V - 5.4 miles long (Walnut Bottom to NPS Campground) Little Pigeon River - Middle Prong, Sevier County, 10 miles away       Class IV+ - 1.5 miles long (Ramsey's Cascade trailhead to Porters Creek confluence)   Ski Areas Near Raven Fork: Cataloochee, North Carolina , 11 miles away, 740 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 22 miles away, 600 foot drop, 3 lifts, 8 runs Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 33 miles away, 225 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Sky Valley, Georgia , 35 miles away, 210 foot drop, 2 lifts, 5 runs Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 55 miles away, 700 foot drop, 5 lifts, 20 runs   Hotels Near Raven Fork: Great Smokies Inn Cherokee, Cherokee , 6 miles away Cherokee Lodge, Cherokee , 6 miles away Baymont Inn & Suites Cherokee Smoky Mountains, Cherokee , 6 miles away Comfort Suites Cherokee, Cherokee , 7 miles away Fairfield Inn & Suites Cherokee, Cherokee , 7 miles away   Campgrounds Near Raven Fork: Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Enloe Creek, Whittier, 1 miles away Indian Creek Campground, Cherokee, 2 miles away Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Upper Chasteen, Cherokee, 3 miles away   Trails Near Raven Fork: Palmer Creek Trail, Haywood , 10 miles away Messer Trail, Cocke , 10 miles away Caldwell Fork Trail, Haywood , 10 miles away Lower Whiterock Trail, Cocke , 11 miles away Baxter Creek Trail, Haywood , 12 miles away   Public Lands Near Raven Fork: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 19 miles away Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 48 miles away Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina , 30 miles away Panther Creek State Park, Tennessee , 39 miles away Black Rock Mountain State Park, Georgia , 39 miles away   Golf Courses Near Raven Fork: Sequoyah National Golf Club, Whittier , 11 miles away Bent Creek Golf Village, Gatlinburg , 12 miles away Golf Scapes, Whittier , 12 miles away   Lakes Near Raven Fork Waterville Lake, Haywood , 15 miles away