Tennessee whitewater, Little River Blount county, Elbow to Townsend section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS II-III     2.6 miles   Correction: The run described here is actually from the Elbow to the Y. It is incorrectly labeled Elbow to Townsend. There is another run from the Y to Townsend, but there is a low level Dam about 2 miles from the Y that has to be portaged. This run is about 4 miles. It has Class 2+ rapids at the start and gradually gets easier till it is Class 1 as the trip approaches Townsend. Says Jim Knowles This is a very scenic run.      The Little River run through The Smoky Mountain National Park along Little River Road. The put-in is 2.6 miles from the Y driving towards the Sinks.  You should go with a group of experience paddlers that have run this section before.  There is a rapid called Mary's Rock that is Class 2+ rapid with a deadly undercut rock that has nearly trapped unaware paddlers under water.  This rapid should be portage by most paddlers.  Advanced paddlers should not have any difficulties making the S-turn that is required to successfully run this rapid. There are probably 8-10 Class 2 rapids to go along with the 5-6 rapids that are Class 2+ or 3.  This run is is runnable in the   wet season (Fall to Winter).  You need a minimum 600 cfs on the Little River Maryville gauge. Says Jim Knowles The starting point is not too far from Sevierville, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. The scenic beauty of Tennessee and the water flowing gracefully down Little River have people coming here. The Elbow to Townsend stretch of Little River in Blount County is 2.6 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II-III section. A good workout and just hanging out with mother nature are sure to keep you coming back for more. There are some good hotels near the river, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. Little River, Elbow to Townsend 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 Little River.   Whitewater Near Little River: Little River, Blount County, 1 miles away       Class II - 10 miles long (Townsend to Dam at Melrose) Little River, Blount County, 2 miles away       Class II-III - 2.6 miles long (Elbow to Townsend) Little River - West Prong, Blount County, 3 miles away       Class III-IV - 3 miles long (Confluence with Laurel Creek to West Prong of Little River) Little River, Sevier County, 5 miles away       Class III-IV+ - 3.5 miles long (Sinks to Elbow) Little River - West Prong, Blount County, 5 miles away       Class III-IV - 6 miles long (Cold Water Knob to Cades Cove Road) Little River - Middle Prong, Blount County, 5 miles away       Class III-IV - 3 miles long (Lynn Camp and Thunderhead Prong Confluence to Tremont Institute) Thunderhead Prong, Blount County, 5 miles away       Class IV - 1.5 miles long (to confluence with Lynn Camp Prong) Lynn Camp Prong, Blount County, 8 miles away       Class IV-V(V+) - 3 miles long (to confluence with Thunderhead Prong) Little River, Blount County, 8 miles away       Class I - 22 miles long (Dam at Melrose to Tennessee River) Cove Creek, Sevier County, 9 miles away       Class II-IV - 1.5 miles long (Cascades)   Ski Areas Near Little River: Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 12 miles away, 600 foot drop, 3 lifts, 8 runs Cataloochee, North Carolina , 45 miles away, 740 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Sky Valley, Georgia , 47 miles away, 210 foot drop, 2 lifts, 5 runs Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 47 miles away, 225 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 86 miles away, 700 foot drop, 5 lifts, 20 runs   Marinas Near Little River: Fontana Village Marina, Fontana Dam , 14 miles away Santeetlah Marina, Lake Santeetlah , 19 miles away Deyton Camp Boat Dock Rentals, Robbinsville , 19 miles away   Hotels Near Little River: Best Western Cades Cove Inn, Townsend , 1 miles away Tremont Lodge Resort, Townsend , 2 miles away Dancing Bear Lodge, Townsend , 3 miles away Dancing Bear Cabins, Townsend , 3 miles away Highland Manor Inn And Conference Center, Townsend , 4 miles away   Campgrounds Near Little River: Little River Village Campground, Townsend, 1 miles away Lazy Daze Campground, Townsend, 1 miles away Mountaineer Campground, Townsend, 1 miles away   Trails Near Little River: Anthony Creek Trail, Blount , 5 miles away Vista Trail, Blount , 5 miles away Rich Mountain Trail, Blount , 5 miles away Russell Field Trail, Blount , 6 miles away Meigs Mountain Trail, Sevier , 6 miles away   Public Lands Near Little River: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 16 miles away Obed Wild & Scenic River, Wartburg - TN , 65 miles away Fort Loudoun State Park, Tennessee , 33 miles away Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina , 34 miles away Big Ridge State Park, Tennessee , 38 miles away   Golf Courses Near Little River: Lambert Acres Golf Course, Maryville , 12 miles away Country Inn at Bays Mountain Golf Course, Seymour , 12 miles away Creekside Plantation Golf Course, Seymour , 12 miles away   Lakes Near Little River Fontana Lake, Swain , 13 miles away Santeetlah Lake, Graham , 19 miles away