Update on the update: an I24 detour will add about 20 minutes to the drive time. Check your email!

New option for routing: click for I40 through Knoxville, Maggie Valley, to 19 South/West

Update: TN route 129 is closed at the border of North Carolina. There is a detour that will add about 45 minutes. Best route to take is via 24 east. From central Nashville, it's about a 4.5 hour drive. See map link immediately below.

Click for map: 24 east through Chattanooga: - I24 -> I75 N -> US 64/74 E -> 74 E-> NC 28 North

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday May 20, 21, 22, 23
Nantahala Forest. Turkey Creek Campground.
This event is family and child-friendly with some restrictions. All children must be accompanied by their parent. River safety restrictions are listed below river info. This event is pet-friendly with restrictions. See campground info.

Join Paddle Adventures Plus for a Western North Carolina blowout! Take on three (Class I, I-II, and I-III) rivers in three days, with tent camping.

Click here to reserve your campsite at Turkey Creek Campgrounds or call (828)488-8966. Specify that you are with Paddle Adventures Plus and then confirm in your PAP yes/no that you have actually registered.

Arrive at Turkey Creek Campground Thursday afternoon or evening and get set up.

Friday evening we'll have a potluck dinner. Fix something to share.

Our current working schedule for rivers:

Little Tennessee

Friday, we will paddle the Little Tennessee, a Class I river where our rec boats are welcome. Below Fontana Lake, the Little TN flows northward out of Georgia and offers some rapids on its way into the lake. At the western edge of the lake, you can put in just below Fontana Dam and take a flatwater paddle to Twenty Mile ranger station, or we can start there and paddle to /]Cheoah Dam - where some pivotal scenes from the movie The Fugitive were filmed - and turn back around. Which branch we'll take has not yet been decided, we may poll you on it or wait and see what the levels are.

Tuckasegee

Saturday, we will hit the Tuckasegee River in Whittier, North Carolina. The Tuck is a family-friendly class I-II 5.5 mile trip with outfitters offering rafts and ducks (inflatable kayaks) for less experienced paddlers. This should be an approximate 3 hour paddle, which will leave us time for other activities. Rentals run $25 for a one-person duck, $20 per person for a double (price does not include a wet suit, but the water isn't said to be very cold). Paddlers with WW boats can drop off at the put-in and carpool to the take-out, then ride the shuttle back for free. Outfitter info coming soon!

Update #3: Renters: click here to book your trip at Tuckasegee Outfitters using their online form. Identify yourself as part of the Paddle Adventures Plus group for 5/22 10:30 am and tell them you want a self-guided duck.

For those who've never seen a "duck" or "funyak" :

Nantahala

Sunday morning while our tents are drying, we will take on the crown jewel: the Nantahala River. The “Nanty” is a Class II river with an optional class III rapid. Again, we expect less experienced paddlers/rec. boaters to rent ducks for river safety. We will use NOC as our outfitter: the Rt 74 campus is huge and has a great scene onsite. The price will be $37 per person for single ducks, and $29 per person in double-ducks. Price includes use of a wet-suit, spash gear, pfd & helmet, and a 30-minute river safety meeting before we get shuttled to the put-in. WW boaters ought to be able to use the NOC shuttle for $7, or we can work up a plan for self-shuttle.

Update: Rec. boaters, call NOC to reserve your spot for the 10am Sunday trip at [masked] and tell them you want an unguided duck. There are a limited number of openings per trip, do reserve early if you can.

Child info for Tuckasegee:
The minimum requirement for Rafts is 40 lbs or 4 years of age. Minimum requirement for a Double Kayaks is 40 lbs or 4 years of age. Minimum weight for Solo Kayaks is 90 lbs. (Maximum weight for solo kayak is 250, FYI.)

Child info for Nantahala:
Minimum requirement is 7 years or 60 pounds.

Other potential activities include local hiking, biking, volleyball, basketball and other attractions. Shutterbugs, bring your tripod / monopod! There are several area waterfalls and an optional workshop may be in the offering. We expect experienced WW paddlers will wish to do additional Nantahala runs on top of the other scheduled waters.

Camping:

Turkey Creek Campground is privately owned and sits between NC state route 28 and Fontana Lake, in the Nantahala National Forest. The campsite amenities include WiFi, picnic tables, fireplaces, 20 amp. electrical service and water. Most of the creek sites have 10' x 12' raised tent pads and are shaded at least part of the day.

Turkey Creek campground is the top pick of many Southeast paddling groups and comes very highly rated and recommended.

Campground rates:
$9 per adult per night,
$6 for children 6-16 accompanied by a parent.
Children 5 or under get in free.

+ $3 per night if you opt for electric service.
+ $3 per vehicle per night, but that vehicle fee is waived for carpoolers with 4 or more paying campers per vehicle.

There is no set max for persons per site, but the campsite owners recommend against stacking. There is one raised tent pad per site, and there’s no telling what the weather will be (think: drainage).

"Small pets are welcome provided they are not an annoyance. Do not leave your pet unattended. Clean up after your pet. If you are in need of kennel services, please contact Rippling Water Kennel." Due to the strong expectations of the campground owners, I recommend against - Mary. Please read the campground rules.

You’ll need to contact the owners directly and make your reservation under Paddle Adventures Plus. Please confirm in your PAP yes/no that you have actually registered.

FYI, there is an Ingles Supermarket (comparable to Kroger) that's about a 20 minute drive east on Highway 19.

DIRECTIONS FROM NASHVILLE -

Little Tennessee River:

Nantahala Cascades (we will not paddle this part. Tom Knapp might if we persuade him):

We will paddle this part:

Tuckasegee: