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White Water Rafting Experience on the Upper Pigeon River

White Water Rafting Experience on the Upper Pigeon River

Overview

The Pigeon River gorge cuts east to west across the Smoky Mountains from North Carolina and into Tennessee. As one of the most popular rafting trips in America, the Upper Section of the Pigeon River offers guests with the best introduction to whitewater anywhere.

City: Hartford

Sat 21 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $43.00

Make a reservation

Sat 21 Sep

Starting at $43.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Equipment included: life jacket, helmet and paddle

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Guests will then meet their personal guide and recieve the necessary equipment Including: life jacket, helmet and paddle.
After your guide double-checks to make sure all equipment is fitted properly, guests then hop on our bus for a short 10-minute ride to the launching point for your trip.

What To Expect

Pigeon River

The Pigeon River gorge cuts East to West across the Smoky Mountains from North Carolina and into Tennessee, offering paddlers panoramic views of the Great Smoky Mountains while cooling off from the summer heat.

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (470)

Chris and Jen K

Apr 2012

Scheduling, preplanning and transportation went without a hitch. Our guide was Paul. Great dude and a real outdoorsman. We loved his wit and his knowledge of everything Tennessee. I have one single complaint about Big Creek Expeditions. They gouge you for the couple of pics they take of each raft making the trip downriver. They snap a few pics and put them on a disk. For that few minutes of work they charge $30. And they have you on this because how else would you get the pics? Perhaps $15 or $20 would be less of a gouge. To be fair the price of the pics is literally my only complaint. The experience was great and I highly recommend a trip on the Upper Pigeon River when the water flow is at full release levels. It was exciting for all of us. We made the trip with our three daughters (11, 11 and 13). I would return despite my complaint.

Steve1362

Dec 2011

I took my wife, 13 yr old daughter and 11 yr old son on their first whitewater rafting trip and Big Creek Expeditions made the whole experience fantastic. Despite the sizable crowd, they efficiently and quickly got everyone outfitted with gear, provided instruction and got us on a bus for an enjoyable bus ride with guides that were a barrel of fun. Once we got to the launch location, we were again quickly and efficiently loaded into the rafts and on the water. The trip itself was on the lower Pigeon River which is mostly a series of class three rapids with a few class two and even a few class four rapids to make the trip special. My family enjoyed the trip immensely and can’t wait for our next opportunity to go rafting. Now I have ready rafting buddies anytime and I thank Big Creek Expeditions for ensuring a great experience.

Barrypoint

Oct 2011

Living in Western NC has its advantages, but one of the biggest is access to the adventures of white water rafting. Recently we traveled to nearby Hartford, TN to do some guided white water rafting on the Upper Section of the Pigeon River. This is in a beautiful area nestled in the Great Smokey Mountains. In a word, our rafting experience was un-freakin-believeable. Okay, that's not a word, but it does describe our adventure that day. We went with another couple, and there were just the four of us plus our guide Terrell in the raft. The ride was wild. The raft transversed several Class III sections and maybe even a Class IV or two. In the calmer sections, guide Terrell entertained us with his dry (hardly so in a raft) humor and knowledge of the river. He knew what he was doing and got us through every difficult section safely, all the while screaming for our mommys. I highly recommend Big Creek Expeditions. They are professionals. They make sure everyone understands what to expect and what their role is. Most of all, they make sure you end up the journey still in the raft and with a big smile on your wet face.