2. Smokemont Campground to Oconaluftee Visitor's Center

This is an under appreciated and very scenic Class II-III run in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near Cherokee, NC. The shuttle logistics are easy, as the run is mostly roadside. The takeout offers bathrooms, vending and a very nice NPS Visitor Center with a wealth of local information. Overall, the difficulty level is close to the Nantahala and more challending than the Tuckaseegee Gorge. It offers a good introduction to Smoky Mountain creeking. That being said, this reach is not paddled often and requires some additional skills. This run is prone to tree strainers and has some blind curves. The leader should be able to boat scout Class III and communicate quickly to the group hazard locations. Adequate group spacing is manadatory. Everyone in the group should be able to quickly eddy out and stop if a strainer hazard is present. It's a fun and scenic run, just be ready for hazards. If you encounter a hazard, please post to this page and/or notify the NPS at the visitor center. As of February 2022, this river section has several potentially dangerous strainers. Comprehensive pre-run scouting and safety preparations are recommended. With the abundance of wood, this is not an easy Class II-III run. It requires a high level of situational awareness and the ability to avoid potential hazards. On February 24, 2022, there was a fatality from a strainer upstream of the Smokemont Bridge. An abundance of caution, group skill assessment and risk evaulation is reccomended.