Lower Pigeon River Rafting Tour

Overview

Closest rafting to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Family fun for children as young as 3! This trip is an amazing outdoor experience on the 5.5-mile Lower Pigeon Rafting Trip. Great for young children or those looking for more of a float trip.

City: Hartford

Tue 24 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $37.26

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Sep

Starting at $37.26

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Professional guide

All required rafting equipment

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Swimsuits and shorts work best. Secure shoes with a heel-strap are required (tennis shoes, water shoes, or sport sandals with a heel-strap). Bare feet and flip-flops are not allowed. Don't forget to bring a change of clothes and a towel
Minimum age is 3 years

What To Expect

Pigeon River

We have a big facility with picnic tables and a food truck, plenty of parking. We are located by the Pigeon river and there is a campground right next to us.

Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting

The River Outpost is where all customers check in to go down the river. Everyone needs to show up 45 minutes before there schedule time in order to check in.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (139)

Anonymous

Sep 2017

Oh my gosh where do I start? We did the sightseeing raft tour because my 10yo was so nervous but I am so glad he was because we never would have met our guide!! Charles was THE BEST guide! Charles made sure even my nervous one had a great time!! The views ... breathtaking! We saw a bald eagle! Yes!! A bald eagle NOT in captivity!! It was amazing! The actual rafting was so fun too! Initially we had no clue what we were doing but about 10 minutes in our raft was totally in sync and we were really working as a team making our way on the Pigeon river. There are swimming holes so you literally fall off the raft and swim in a river in The Great Smoky Mountains 💕Amazing experience!! We had a total blast!! A once in a lifetime experience!! Everyone at Smoky Mountain Outdoors were friendly and fun!! We'd definitely go again if we ever are in East Tennessee!!!

Response from Host

Sep 2018

Oh my gosh, we are so glad that you took a chance and went rafting on the Lower Pigeon River with Smoky Mountain Outdoors. We love sharing the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains with our guests. Charles is an amazing guide and I will share your kind words with him. We do hope to see you again real soon!

Bill_1971

Mar 2017

My family and I went rafting in the early part of March. Prior to booking the tour, and had called and spoke to someone on the phone about the tour and was pretty confident that we would get to experience at least a few moments of excitement. When we arrived, I noticed that the river seemed to have fairly little water in it. At the point, the girl behind the desk told me the river was on "natural flow" until sometime in April, when the dam upstream began regularly discharging water. Further research on my end indicated that an average river flow for the Pigeon river is around 1000-1200 CFM (cubic feet per minute). The day we took our tour it was about 220 CFM. What this meant was that in at least a dozen instances, we got stuck on rocks and our guide had to get out of the boat and dislodge us. At times we were rafting in no more than 6-8 inches of water! Needless to say, when the water level is that low any real "rapids" disappear. Those looking for actual whitewater rafting should make sure you go at a time when they GUARANTEE water (via dam discharges). Call and verify that they will GUARANTEE water on the day and time of your tour. I would have actually given less than 3 stars, however our guide was FANTASTIC and the other staff was very nice, friendly, and accommodating. Had the river actually had water in it, I could see this having been a 4 or 5 star review. I should also note that while I didn't vociferously complain to the woman at the front desk, I made my displeasure at the lower water level known. At no time was I offered a discount for a future visit, nor any other compensation. Additionally, she made it sound like "we don't guarantee water" was well advertised, when in fact the man on the phone had GUARANTEED we would end up soaked and that the experience would be pretty thrilling. Again, the staff was otherwise great, and I'm sure with better water conditions the rafting would have been better, but on this particular day I was left unimpressed and disappointed.

Bryant A

Jul 2016

Awesome trip. Pooh Bear was a great guide. We will be back!