North Carolina whitewater, Santeetlah River Graham county, Forest Service road 81 to Santeetlah Lake section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-IV     5 miles   The scenic beauty of Graham County and the cool fresh water have people coming here. The Forest Service road 81 to Santeetlah Lake stretch of Santeetlah River in Graham County is 5 miles long and it is classified as a class II-IV section by American Whitewater. The average North Carolina whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be easier to run than those in other states, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that a large number     of rivers in this state are quite easy. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. If you're coming from Knoxville it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The nearby hotels are a bit away from the river, but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. This is not the only paddling stretch in this river system, there are others too. The beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains is a great plus for this river. A good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors have a lot of people coming here. Whether you're whitewater rafting or   kayaking around here you'll find a large number of good places. On this section you do get some distance, it's good length for a morning trip. Briefly about the general area: Hiking along the Big Stack Gap Branch Trail is splendid fun, and if you're here, you might as well stop by Horse Cove. That right there is plenty of fun stuff already but it goes on, the Great Smoky Mountains has it all. You're sure to come across some friendly people from Robbinsville here, and going for a hike along the Fodderstack Trail will let you absorb the natural beauty of this vicinity. Lots of fun awaits you along this river. Santeetlah River, Forest Service road 81 to Santeetlah Lake 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, 1 miles away       Class II-IV - 5 miles long (Forest Service road 81 to Santeetlah Lake) Cheoah River, Graham County, 4 miles away       Class IV-V - 7.1 miles long (Grocery Store to Calderwood Lake Boat Launch) Yellow Creek, Graham County, 4 miles away       Class IV-V - 1.1 miles long (SR 1242 to US 129) Snowbird Creek, Graham County, 6 miles away       Class III-IV - 12 miles long (Junction to First Bridge Downstream) Slickrock Creek, Graham/ County, 6 miles away       Class III-V - 6.5 miles long (Big Fat Gap to Lake Cheoh) Santeetlah River, Graham County, 6 miles away       Class III+ - 5 miles long (Gate to FS Road 81 Bridge) Santeetlah River, Graham County, 7 miles away       Class V - 3.4 miles long (FR 81c Bridge to Forest Service Gate) Snowbird Creek, Graham County, 8 miles away       Class III-IV+ - 8 miles long (Hooper Bald to Junction) Citico Creek, Monroe County, 9 miles away       Class II-III - 17 miles long (Doublecamp to Little Tennessee River) Doublecamp Creek, Monroe County, 11 miles away       Class IV - 3.17 miles long (to Citico Creek)   Ski Areas Near Santeetlah River: Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 31 miles away, 600 foot drop, 3 lifts, 8 runs Sky Valley, Georgia , 44 miles away, 210 foot drop, 2 lifts, 5 runs Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 46 miles away, 225 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Cataloochee, North Carolina , 58 miles away, 740 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs   Marinas Near Santeetlah River: Santeetlah Marina, Lake Santeetlah , 4 miles away Deyton Camp Boat Dock Rentals, Robbinsville , 6 miles away Fontana Village Marina, Fontana Dam , 13 miles away Duke's Hideaway Marina, Murphy , 19 miles away Shooks Marina, Murphy , 20 miles away   Hotels Near Santeetlah River: Creekside Paradise, Robbinsville , 7 miles away Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham Robbinsville, Robbinsville , 8 miles away Quality Inn Andrews, Andrews , 10 miles away Hampton Inn Murphy, Murphy , 16 miles away Best Western Of Murphy, Murphy , 16 miles away   Campgrounds Near Santeetlah River: Rattler Ford Campground, Graham County, 0 miles away Horse Cove Campground, Graham County, 1 miles away Cheoah Point Campground, Graham County, 3 miles away   Trails Near Santeetlah River: Big Stack Gap Branch Trail, Monroe , 8 miles away Fodderstack Trail, Monroe , 9 miles away Stiffknee Trail, Monroe , 9 miles away Brush Mountain Trail, Monroe , 9 miles away South Fork Citico Trail, Monroe , 10 miles away   Public Lands Near Santeetlah River: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 34 miles away Obed Wild & Scenic River, Wartburg - TN , 63 miles away Fort Loudoun State Park, Tennessee , 25 miles away Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina , 31 miles away Vogel State Park, Georgia , 33 miles away   Lakes Near Santeetlah River Santeetlah Lake, Graham , 3 miles away Fontana Lake, Swain , 9 miles away Nantahala Lake, Macon , 20 miles away