East Tennessee is paddling country
If you're a newcomer to Knoxville, you've probably noticed how half the cars seem to have kayaks and canoes strapped to the roof racks.
Sooner or later, you'll discover what the fuss is all about. Knoxville is surrounded by whitewater rivers, some of them dam controlled, others free flowing.
The Tennessee Valley Authority operates these dams for hydropower generation. Unlike free flowing rivers, which dry up in the summer and fall, these rivers provide guaranteed water releases throughout the summer and early fall.
The whitewater river in East Tennessee with the greatest name recognition is the Ocoee, which flows through the Cherokee National Forest near the Tennessee-Georgia line. In 2006, the Ocoee's middle section drew 232,981 rafting customers, while the upper section had 44,574.
The Ocoee became nationally known during the 1994 Atlanta Olympics when the upper section was the site of the canoe and kayak slalom competition.
Twenty-six rafting companies operate on the Ocoee, making it one of the busiest commercial rivers in the Southeast.
Just north of the Ocoee is the Hiwassee River, which also is dam-controlled, but significantly more moderate in terms of its rapids. The Hiwassee is a state scenic river, and an especially lovely one at that. The river cuts through the mountains of the Cherokee National Forest, and the mellow rapids allow time to look around.
The Hiwassee is an excellent river for beginner and intermediate paddlers, but even experts are drawn to its gorgeous scenery.
The Pigeon River is another water-release stream that supports a growing rafting industry. Located next to Interstate 40 in Cocke County, the Pigeon offers a 5-mile whitewater run from the Tennessee-North Carolina line to the town of Hartford.
For years the river was too polluted to paddle as the result of an upstream paper mill. Today, the Pigeon draws a little more than 100,000 rafting customers a year, not to mention the canoeists and kayakers who paddle it on their own.
The French Broad River is a free-flowing stream that has a large enough watershed to remain runnable throughout most of the summer. The run starts near Marshall, N.C., and ends at Hot Springs, N.C., an outdoorsy little town whose economy revolves around river recreation, and the Appalachian Trail.
Like the French Broad, the Nolichucky is a sizable, naturally flowing stream that supports commercial rafting. Located near Johnson City, the Nolichucky is famous for the deep gorge it carves in the mountains and its Class III-IV rapids.
In general, the lakes around Knoxville are unsuitable for muscle-powered crafts because of the heavy powerboat traffic. For truly excellent flatwater paddling, head south on U.S. Highway 129 until you reach a series of impoundments on the Little Tennessee River known as the "Finger Lakes of the South."
The lakes include Chilhowee Lake, Calderwood Lake, Cheoah Lake and Fontana Lake. They're deep, narrow and cold, and nestled right in the mountains.
Just west of Knoxville is the Cumberland Plateau, a physiographic region where rivers have carved deep gorges through the sandstone. Most of the rivers on the Plateau are free flowing. Some, like the Obed and the Big South Fork, are protected by national parks.
Located less than two hours northwest of Knoxville, the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area surrounds 60 miles of the Big South Fork River and its tributaries.
State Highway 297 crosses the river at Leatherwood Ford. Above Leatherwood Ford is the Big South Fork's famous Class III-IV whitewater section. Below the bridge, the river flows fairly calm for 30-odd miles until the take-out at Blue Heron, an old mining community that has been restored by the National Park Service.
The only outfitter operating on the Big South Fork is Sheltowee Trace Outfitters out of Whitley City, Ky.
Another federally protected river system on the Plateau is the Obed Wild and Scenic River area, located in Cumberland and Morgan counties west of Knoxville.
The park protects more than 45 miles of the Obed River and its main tributaries, including Daddy's Creek and Clear Creek. These streams are best paddled in the spring. The boulder-choked channels require good maneuvering skills, and the runs are remote.
Most of the rapids in the Obed system are Class II-IV in difficulty, depending on the water level.
