Upper Pigeon River Whitewater Rafting

Overview

A cornerstone of Smokies vacations, the Pigeon is the closest whitewater rafting tour to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

City: Hartford

Fri 06 Jun

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $59.81

Make a reservation

Fri 06 Jun

Starting at $59.81

Make a reservation

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What's Included

NOC provides all the necessary river gear and equipment.

Additional Info

Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (27)

965abbeys

Jul 2021

This was our first rafting experience and it was wonderful! We decided on the Lower Pigeon float and it was perfect! Just enough waves to keep us entertained without being too much for our younger kids. Our guide, Josh, was excellent. He was very friendly and a great instructor. Every staff member we encountered was friendly and knowledgeable and we felt very safe during the trip. I really enjoyed the comradery between the guides and other rafts as we made our way down the river. We had a great time trying to splash those in the other rafts with squirt guns, our paddles, or old milk jugs which served as make-shift buckets. I'm also very happy with the wonderful pictures we got of our trip, it's definitely worth the extra money! Overall, it was a great experience!

Kcros04

May 2021

We had a great experience with NOC white water rafting as first timers. We had to drive approx 1 hour from our hotel in Pigeon Forge, but it will be the same for almost any company as they all go down the same river. The pricing is fair and the trip is long so you definitely get your money worth. They start off with a short educational video and some good humor before you hop on a bus and head over to the river and have some fun. Our tour guide was Noah. He was super friendly and had lots to share about the river and the surrounding area which we enjoyed. They have a short stretch of river where you can hop out of the raft and just float in your life jacket. The pictures came out great and were reasonably priced. Don’t forget a towel and some dry clothes. They have some rooms to change in once you return from your trip!

lizwhetstone00

May 2021

My husband and I took our 4 daughters ages: 10, 12, 12, and 13 on the Upper Pigeon rafting trip with NOC on the first week of May 2021. As we had never been white water rafting before, I spent a lot of time researching reviews and comparing companies. We wanted a family vacation for our girls that was not full of artificial experiences, like rides or amusement parks. So even though I am no helicopter mama, I was very nervous (inwardly) for what I had signed us up for as I have grown very fond of these lovely people! I agonized over whether to do the Lower or Upper Pigeon trip. Even on the day of the trip, I was ready to walk away from it if the people at NOC did not give me the warm and fuzzies with the safety of my children. As we arrived, it was raining and we were concerned about the weather and I was so close to chickening out. What we were about to do with our kids seemed very surreal. The leader of the tour spoke with us and addressed my concerns as a nervous mother very sincerely. We decided to go for it and dressed in our splash guard shirts and watched a safety video under a tent with the other patrons. The video gave specific instructions on how to assume a floating position should you fall into the water. You must never try to stand up. Also, it explained how to be an active participant in your own rescue. While this was vital information, it did not ease my anxiety! Then we met our guides. Kent was a 16 year river rafting veteran and he came over and spoke with us. He probably noticed my crazed-mama-eyes and he was very calming and reassuring to us. On the bus ride over, he even came and spoke with my husband and me directly about our worries. We told him that if it was possible, we would prefer a cautious but fun first rafting experience with our girls over a wild one. He totally reassured us. To my surprise, my 2 daughters wanted to be in front of the raft. He taught us how to lock in our toes so as not to fall out and he continually vocalized what he was doing and why. He had to make so many decisions. It was astounding. Kent made our ride! He was so caring and thoughtful and capable. The ride was life-changing. It really takes a team effort to river raft and it was such an incredible moment for our family. We saw other tour companies along the way and I was so relieved that I chose NOC over the others. All our guides were so experienced. I can't recommend Nantahala Outdoor Center enough and I can never thank Kent enough for keeping us all safe. This ended up being the highlight of our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains! Kent, we hope to see you next year! FYI: if you are driving to the Upper Pigeon outpost from Pigeon Forge, do NOT take the directions from Siri. We went through parts of Tennessee that I'd like to never see again. It was quite scary, tiny roads through the back hills. Scenic is not a word I would use. Stick to the highways!