Tennessee River Rafting Guide

SOUTHERN COMFORT: Rafting the Ocoee River, Tennessee (courtesy, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development)

Tennessee's rivers offer a good mix of deep canyons, steady water, and relatively easy access. What you won’t get is a real wilderness vibe, a fact that is not too surprising when you consider tourist draws in the area include the perennially popular Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With so many people coming to experience their own slice of the Smokies' magic, there are plenty of outfitters with whom to run the rivers. Things can get busy, but the rivers themselves offer enough for everyone, particularly first-time and family rafters. The Nolichucky is arguably the state's toughest river, and the shorter, dam-fed Ocoee (the site of the kayaking and canoeing events in the '96 Olympics) scores a fast-and-furious second place. The Tellico, Hiwassee, and Big Pigeon, and Nolichucky Rivers also serve up some mellower water that's good for a lazy, half- or full-day float. Note that in free-flowing rivers like the Nolichucky, water levels drop off considerably during the drier summer months, although the flipside is that these wilder sections are navigable in fun, inflatable kayaks also known as duckies.

Rafting Rivers in Tennessee