Staying in Blue Ridge in late July. Looking at the Ocoee middle, Nantahala, or the Chattooga section 3.

It will be me, wife and 11 and 13 year old boys. Don't want it too crazy but want it to be fun/exciting… anyone with experience on all 3? Ocoee says 12+ but are they checking birth certificates? Nantahala seems too tame. Leaning on Chattooga but 1.5+ hour drive. Anything else to do near Long Creek, SC while there?

Anything else to do near blue ridge? Trout fishing?

Heading to Gatlinburg and Nashville on our way back home.

I have done all 3. Nantahala is definitely pretty tame. Of the 3, I would probably do the Ocoee, but the Chattooga is nice as well. The whitewater kayaking for the Olympics was done there. It can run pretty fast at times. While in the area, definitely do Tallulah Falls. It's a really spectacular park. Make sure to take the stairs and walk all the way down to the bottom. I would also see if, maybe on your way back, you could go to The Dillard House for a family style meal. Highlands NC is always nice, but a bit out of the way. There is a pretty big zip line course between Dillard and Highlands.
Edit to add: There is great trout fishing on the Tallulah River, not far from where you will be. I was just gravel biking there yesterday, there was hardly anybody there (but it'll change after Memorial Day).
It's a beautiful part of the world, you'll love it.

Great info, thanks!!

The Ocoee might not be an option as we have an 11.5 year old. How strict are they about the 12+ age limit on the Ocoee trip?

I would have no idea about that. How many kids that age have ID anyway? You're gonna be signing a serious release to do the raft trip.

jpb1999 said:

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Staying in Blue Ridge in late July. Looking at the Ocoee middle, Nantahala, or the Chattooga section 3.

It will be me, wife and 11 and 13 year old boys. Don't want it too crazy but want it to be fun/exciting… anyone with experience on all 3? Ocoee says 12+ but are they checking birth certificates? Nantahala seems too tame. Leaning on Chattooga but 1.5+ hour drive. Anything else to do near Long Creek, SC while there?

Anything else to do near blue ridge? Trout fishing?

Heading to Gatlinburg and Nashville on our way back home.

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I have done the middle Ocoee about 500 times, mostly kayaking, but around 100 times guiding friends down in a raft, the Nantahala maybe twice (Nanty Cascades a dozen or so times), and Section 3 once (ran Section 4 a dozen or so times).


Ocoee and Nanty are dam release so they always run when they say they are running. Chatooga is rain dependent.

Ocoee has WAY more bang for the buck. It is all class 3 but they are pretty good rapids. Tablesaw and broken nose are classics, grumpys is a great start, diamond splitter is great, hell hole is fun.

Nanty has one rapid and the rest is just fast water. Best rapid is below the takeout and the rafts don't go down it because there is rebar in the rocks. Overall the Nanty is a pretty but not exciting run.

Chattooga Section 3 is more remote, shuttle is long, REALLY pretty run. It is a long day, like 12 miles. The only real rapid is bull sluice, which I doubt the rafts run. With high water Bull sluice is legit, at low water it is just a 4 foot drop or so.


You could also do the Pigeon (Class 3 fairly close to Gatlinburg... it is Meh), French Broad over by Asheville (2 rapids, pretty meh but you will see eagles and stuff), Hiwassee (Class 2-3, you can put them in Duckies though, also a good place to see a bald eagle).


So the last thing... I am not giving you advice on whether to put your kid on the Ocoee when he is underage. I don't think you should lie to the outfitters. I will say that I have seen a 18 MONTH old kid in a raft on that river. That being said the guy who guided the raft with his toddler aboard is a well known idiot. I myself have taken people down that river in duckies who have never held a paddle a single day in their lives and had legendary hangovers. Swims can really hurt on the Ocoee. It is a safe river but humans don't breathe water. My wife almost drown on it and says she will never go back. She probably has 20 runs on it but one time I let a friend guide her down and he almost killed her. She swam for over a mile before I finally pulled her out. Her only other swim on that river was in the olympic section. I had her back in the boat within 10 seconds but her shorts got pulled off and she mooned the whole crowd. Good times!

Great info again, thanks!!

So on Ocoee - is the Olympic upper section the one where your wife fell out? Or the middle is that intense as well?

He is an athletic bigger 11.5 year old. He would be more able to do this than probably 70% of actual 12 year olds. But a rule is a rule I guess? So I guess that option is out which is frustrating.

I'm confused on other 2 options… we did the Colorado in Moab last summer (mid summer and missed the higher flows) and it was way too tame and not exciting. Barely a few rapids and not enough time on the water, maybe 1.5 to 2 hours.

The Nanty sounds too tame… just fast water?

I was leaning on the Section 3 Chattooga. The girl on phone said "the mini" was mostly 1 and 2s with one 4 at the end. Section 3, was all 2 and 3s with the 4 at the end. Section 3 sounded fun and in the right realm of exiting… though she said it was 5 hours (7 total) on the water. A little worried that combined with 1.5 hours to get there is too long of a day…

We did however want to drive into SC in one of the 4 days we are in blue Ridge, so this might check off two boxes. Also heard about Tallulah Falls and thought about going to see that, but again not sure if we have enough time.

This is a family trip so overall experience and enjoying the scenery is a big part of this. Maybe we pick the Nanty or "the mini" for this trip (for a step up from Moab) and if we come back next year we can try the Ocoee…?

With that Info, any recs between those 2 choices? Best scenery or other things to do near those trips? Is there a certain water flow rate we want to stay above on the Chattooga?

Thanks again!!

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Heading to Gatlinburg and Nashville on the way home.

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If you'll be in Gatlinburg I would strongly suggest a stop at Cades Cove. We've been there twice over the past four weeks (we live about 45 minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park). Collectively, we saw 32 bears, including a mama and her four cubs about ten feet from our car.

Cades Cove

Are you talking with Southeastern Expeditions?

I won't broach the issue of lying to the companies about the age of your son, BUT I have used Southeastern Expeditions a couple of times and they are safe and reputable. 7-foot Falls and Bull Sluice are legit rapids, they scout them out in advance, prepare lines, etc. People do get knocked out of the rafts, and there are usually lots of spectators there to cheer the rafts and kayaks on. It is a "Wild and Scenic River", so the section they raft is not a dam release but depends upon rainfall in the region. No telling what that will be like by the time you get there.

If you do the Chattooga, that will knock South Carolina off as a destination, as the river is the border between Georgia and SC for a while. It is a really beautiful river, as are the other two. There are almost no buildings, habitations, etc. along the way, so you definitely feel remote. If you do that, as you say, it will be a long day and you will be hard pressed to do much else, especially considering your travel back and forth. Tallulah Falls is close as is the town of Clayton, otherwise you will be out in nature all day.

There is a nice Outdoor Center along the Nantahala. I have only been up there a couple of times, and not in several years, so my recollection isn't great as to what else to do up there. A lot of people learn to kayak on that river, so there is a good bit of support built up around that.

Have fun, most of all. And if you hear banjos, paddle faster.

Kool said:

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Are you talking with Southeastern Expeditions?

I won't broach the issue of lying to the companies about the age of your son, BUT I have used Southeastern Expeditions a couple of times and they are safe and reputable. 7-foot Falls and Bull Sluice are legit rapids, they scout them out in advance, prepare lines, etc. People do get knocked out of the rafts, and there are usually lots of spectators there to cheer the rafts and kayaks on. It is a "Wild and Scenic River", so the section they raft is not a dam release but depends upon rainfall in the region. No telling what that will be like by the time you get there.

If you do the Chattooga, that will knock South Carolina off as a destination, as the river is the border between Georgia and SC for a while. It is a really beautiful river, as are the other two. There are almost no buildings, habitations, etc. along the way, so you definitely feel remote. If you do that, as you say, it will be a long day and you will be hard pressed to do much else, especially considering your travel back and forth. Tallulah Falls is close as is the town of Clayton, otherwise you will be out in nature all day.

There is a nice Outdoor Center along the Nantahala. I have only been up there a couple of times, and not in several years, so my recollection isn't great as to what else to do up there. A lot of people learn to kayak on that river, so there is a good bit of support built up around that.

Have fun, most of all. And if you hear banjos, paddle faster.

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7 foot falls is on section 4. Section 4 would be a BAD idea for a beginner family with an 11 year old.

jpb1999 said:

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Great info again, thanks!!

So on Ocoee - is the Olympic upper section the one where your wife fell out? Or the middle is that intense as well?

He is an athletic bigger 11.5 year old. He would be more able to do this than probably 70% of actual 12 year olds. But a rule is a rule I guess? So I guess that option is out which is frustrating.

I'm confused on other 2 options… we did the Colorado in Moab last summer (mid summer and missed the higher flows) and it was way too tame and not exciting. Barely a few rapids and not enough time on the water, maybe 1.5 to 2 hours.

The Nanty sounds too tame… just fast water?

I was leaning on the Section 3 Chattooga. The girl on phone said "the mini" was mostly 1 and 2s with one 4 at the end. Section 3, was all 2 and 3s with the 4 at the end. Section 3 sounded fun and in the right realm of exiting… though she said it was 5 hours (7 total) on the water. A little worried that combined with 1.5 hours to get there is too long of a day…

We did however want to drive into SC in one of the 4 days we are in blue Ridge, so this might check off two boxes. Also heard about Tallulah Falls and thought about going to see that, but again not sure if we have enough time.

This is a family trip so overall experience and enjoying the scenery is a big part of this. Maybe we pick the Nanty or "the mini" for this trip (for a step up from Moab) and if we come back next year we can try the Ocoee…?

With that Info, any recs between those 2 choices? Best scenery or other things to do near those trips? Is there a certain water flow rate we want to stay above on the Chattooga?

Thanks again!!

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So let's see if we can answer your questions.

The Olympic section is on the upper Ocoee. I think minimum age for commercial is 16. It is a BIG step up from the middle. Good splashy fun.

Nantahala has 5-6 miles of class2 moving water followed by one class 3. It is not a hard class 3 and lasts about 10 seconds. Aside from that the Nanty is absolutely beautiful and the area is great. The hiking around the Nanty is incredible. If you can rent duckies there, then that might be the best plan but the water is COLD. No guide needed on a ducky trip.

Chattooga Section 3 is an incredible gorge but it is a long day. It is 12 miles and the average raft goes about 3 mph. Add in a lunch and shuttle and it is an all day trip. You don't do Section 3 for the rapids, you do it for the wilderness and the gorge. Bull Sluice is the last rapid before Section 4 starts. I think the min for a decent raft trip is 1.8 feet on the gauge. They probably shut it down for commercial around 3 or 3.5 feet. I did it once at 7 feet, it was a quick trip. We chickened out on Section 4 that day.

I have kayaked Tallulah a bunch of times but never walked in for the waterfall. It is 750 steps down, which is no big deal unless you have 70 pounds of gear on you. It is a beautiful waterfall but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. I just doubt you can see much and it will be 90% de-watered. If the water is turned on you aren't allowed to go down there.

The best peaches in the entire world come from that part of south carolina. If you see some on the side of the road get them.

With Southeastern Expeditions, at least, they offer you an opportunity to "bail out" of 7-foot falls and walk around it. Whoever wanted to could walk ahead and check it out while they set guides ahead with ropes just in case. Last time I did it, we had one kid who took that route.

Section 3, per their site, is ages 8 and up. Section 4 (with 7-foot falls) is 12 and up, IN ALL CAPS.

Southeastern Expeditions Chattooga

7 foot falls isn't even the scary rapid. Corkscrew has the sieve rock right in the washout and Crack in the rock has killed a half dozen people. Section 4 is dangerous

But the big question on section 4 is the lake paddle. I bet it sucks in a raft. Do they tow you with a boat?

A tow across the lake if I recall. But it's been a good while since I did that one. Obviously, makes for a really long day. I think they don't even guarantee that they will do Section 4, they have to have enough people signed up for it in order to make it worth their time/money. As far as OP goes, sounds as if Nantahala or Section 3 of the Chattooga are more likely the best options.

Hate to say this, but we are in a severe drought now. Worst drought in the 17 years we've lived here. Our property fronts Fort Loudon Lake, the first lake on the Tennessee River. The water level is 18" below full pool. I have no idea how this will affect you but just know we need rain, and quite a bit.

Was actually looking at Wildwater Chattooga. Is Southeastern Expeditions better?

Has anyone done the "mini" option at Wildwater? Says it's the lower section 3. Does it miss a lot of fun parts of upper section 3?

Leaning on section 3, if enough flow late July… if not, Nanta it is I guess…

Couldn't tell you. I've only used Southeastern. If you do a shorter raft trip, you get to maybe visit Tallulah??? That would be nice.

Looked at Cades Cove briefly. Looks to be a large area or section of the NP?

Do you recommend any particular area or hike? Or is it not as big as I think?

Would love to see some bears! We have already been on several vacations where bear sightings were a possibility but got blanked.

Cades Cove is an easy 11 mile, single lane loop in Townsend up in the Smoky Mountains. If you want to see Black Bear up close, this is the place. We've been going there for years, and the chance of seeing a bear was around 50/50. Over the past couple of years the bear population has exploded. Plus, the scenery is about as good as it gets. Yes, it is part of the Smoky Mountain National Park.

How do you bookmark a thread or whatever it is called

Thanks op. This is interesting

I am also head to Blue Ridge in July with 2 kids the same age pretty much. Are there any kayak/river trips that are pretty tame but enjoyable? Not sure I would get the wife on rapids, but if there was something fairly easy and enjoyable we could do that. Looking for something fun for a day trip but can't be over the top adventurous on rapids.

And done Cades Cove multiple times, love that drive.

Would get Knoxtom to confirm, but to me that says Nantahala all day long.

Your wife and kids can do the Nantahala all day. It is tame, with the one class 3 rapid. Just go to the the Nantahala Outdoor Center and make it your base. I always made fun of the place but the reality is that NOC is a great operation. They have a great shop, great restaurant, handle the river, and have great hikes.

I think the best plan is to do the river, do the fire tower hike, climb the fire tower, do the zipline tour if you have time, then finish with a casual drive back through the mountains. That would be a pretty memorable day.


Your kids will want harder whitewater, your wife will want easier, but all in all it is a great agenda.

A lot of people mention Cades Cove. We wouldn't go there often as it was always too crowded, but once a year or so we would kayak to Abrahms Falls and drop the falls a half dozen times. The rest of the creek was decent kayaking but the shuttle was horrendous. The other runs in the park were just so much better. The sinks, Ramsey, Elkmont, Greenbriar, West Prong, and Big Creek. I sure miss kayaking there.

Just so you know... Cades Cove is closed to cars on Wednesdays and only allows hikers and bikes. Riding the loop on a bike is the best and arguably only way to do it. Cars make it into a giant parking lot and god help you if a bear comes out. Every single car will stop to get a picture of the bear and it will take an hour to get past it. Last time I did it on a bike I took my 11 year old and she did fine. I think the loop is 11 miles with a couple small climbs. She is 26 now, so that was 15 years ago.