North Carolina whitewater, Santeetlah River Graham county, Gate to FS Road 81 Bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III+     5 miles   Whitewater rafting and kayaking in North Carolina is often easier than elsewhere, so better not forget that many of the rivers in this state are not very demanding. This section of Santeetlah River is 5 miles long and is a class III+ section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. Not too many hotels nearby, you'll have to drive a bit to get to one, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. If you're a camper you can     camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. Some people prefer whitewater rafting and some kayaking, either way this area has a large number of paddling places. The beautiful Great Smoky Mountains scenery is an added bonus. A bit of exercise and just hanging out with mother nature are sure to keep you coming back for more. The put-in is not too far from Knoxville, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. This section is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, good for a one day paddling trip. There are plenty of other stretches in this river system that can be paddled as well. The natural beauty of Graham County   and the water flowing gracefully down Santeetlah River will make you feel great. Briefly about the general area: Take a hike on the Fodderstack Trail, and you'll meet a lot of folks from Robbinsville here. Be careful coming to the Great Smoky Mountains, you might not ever wanna return back home again. Santeetlah River is right by the Big Stack Gap Branch Trail, and you might also want to pay a visit to Obadiah Gap while you're here at Santeetlah River. This river is so great. Through the months of summer at Santeetlah River highs are commonly in the 80's. Throughout the moonlight hours it's typically in the 60's. Santeetlah River, Gate to FS Road 81 Bridge 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 Santeetlah River.   Whitewater Near Santeetlah River: Santeetlah River, Graham County, 3 miles away       Class II-IV - 5 miles long (Forest Service road 81 to Santeetlah Lake) Santeetlah River, Graham County, 3 miles away       Class III+ - 5 miles long (Gate to FS Road 81 Bridge) Slickrock Creek, Graham/ County, 4 miles away       Class III-V - 6.5 miles long (Big Fat Gap to Lake Cheoh) Santeetlah River, Graham County, 4 miles away       Class V - 3.4 miles long (FR 81c Bridge to Forest Service Gate) Snowbird Creek, Graham County, 5 miles away       Class III-IV - 12 miles long (Junction to First Bridge Downstream) Snowbird Creek, Graham County, 5 miles away       Class III-IV+ - 8 miles long (Hooper Bald to Junction) Citico Creek, Monroe County, 6 miles away       Class II-III - 17 miles long (Doublecamp to Little Tennessee River) Cheoah River, Graham County, 6 miles away       Class IV-V - 7.1 miles long (Grocery Store to Calderwood Lake Boat Launch) Yellow Creek, Graham County, 7 miles away       Class IV-V - 1.1 miles long (SR 1242 to US 129) Doublecamp Creek, Monroe County, 9 miles away       Class IV - 3.17 miles long (to Citico Creek)   Ski Areas Near Santeetlah River: Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 34 miles away, 600 foot drop, 3 lifts, 8 runs Sky Valley, Georgia , 46 miles away, 210 foot drop, 2 lifts, 5 runs Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 48 miles away, 225 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Cataloochee, North Carolina , 61 miles away, 740 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs   Marinas Near Santeetlah River: Santeetlah Marina, Lake Santeetlah , 7 miles away Deyton Camp Boat Dock Rentals, Robbinsville , 9 miles away Fontana Village Marina, Fontana Dam , 16 miles away Duke's Hideaway Marina, Murphy , 16 miles away Shooks Marina, Murphy , 17 miles away   Hotels Near Santeetlah River: Creekside Paradise, Robbinsville , 10 miles away Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham Robbinsville, Robbinsville , 10 miles away Quality Inn Andrews, Andrews , 12 miles away Hampton Inn Murphy, Murphy , 14 miles away Best Western Of Murphy, Murphy , 14 miles away   Campgrounds Near Santeetlah River: Horse Cove Campground, Graham County, 2 miles away Rattler Ford Campground, Graham County, 2 miles away Bear Creek Hunt Camp, Robbinsville, 4 miles away   Trails Near Santeetlah River: Big Stack Gap Branch Trail, Monroe , 6 miles away Fodderstack Trail, Monroe , 7 miles away South Fork Citico Trail, Monroe , 7 miles away Brush Mountain Trail, Monroe , 7 miles away North Fork Citico Trail, Monroe , 7 miles away   Public Lands Near Santeetlah River: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 37 miles away Obed Wild & Scenic River, Wartburg - TN , 61 miles away Fort Loudoun State Park, Tennessee , 23 miles away Vogel State Park, Georgia , 33 miles away Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia , 33 miles away   Golf Courses Near Santeetlah River: Cherokee Hills Golf Club, Murphy , 20 miles away   Lakes Near Santeetlah River Santeetlah Lake, Graham , 5 miles away Fontana Lake, Swain , 12 miles away Hiwassee Lake, Cherokee , 19 miles away