White Water Rafting

The Pigeon River supplies the Smoky Mountains with great white water rapids, good times, and scenic vistas. The main river put-in is in Hartford, Tennessee, located only about 45 minutes to 1 hour from our Gatlinburg cabin rentals or Pigeon Forge cabin rentals. There are many quality rafting and tubing companies to choose from and we hope that our listing here provides you with some descriptions to make your choice. Or, make your Gatlinburg vacation or Pigeon Forge vacation a refreshing one by spending each day on the river and try out all the rafting companies! No matter your choice, you’ll surely be pleased with the adventures you have and the memories you make on your Smoky Mountain vacation.

The Pigeon River is dam-controlled by Carolina Power and Light (CP&L), which controls the water flow. Water is released for power (and rafting!) on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. You can choose between the Upper Section and the Lower Section of the Pigeon River. The Upper Section has “higher class” rapids (up to Class IV) for the adventuresome in your group, whereas the Lower Section has mostly Class I and II rapids and is suitable for a float trip and a day spent relaxing and gazing up at the Smoky Mountain sky. Plan to make a rafting trip part of your Gatlinburg vacation or Pigeon Forge vacation and you will be glad you did!

Check out our info pages on each of the following rafting companies: