Outdoor Playground

Whitewater Rafting In The NC Mountains

A few years ago, the headline of an award-winning ad succinctly captured the allure of whitewater rafting in the North Carolina mountains: "Row, row, row your boat, pathetically whimpering like a little weenie down the stream."

Never has such sheer terror been so much pure fun.

There are, of course, all sorts of places in our mountains where you can get baptized into the joys of rafting – ranging, as one of our outfitters has put it, "from kiddie runs to the ‘better have hospital coverage’ runs."

Here are just a few of our recommendations:

Nantahala River - Bryson City
The Nantahala River Gorge is one of the most picturesque places in the U.S, and families drive from hundreds of miles away to ride the river here. The Nantahala river also happens to be dam-controlled, with consistent water levels throughout the rafting season. So it serves as a reassuring, breathtakingly scenic introduction to the joys of rafting.

A great place to get that introduction is at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), which operates a world-class whitewater canoe and kayak instruction program, has team-building programs and much more. The NOC offers rafting on 5 other southeastern rivers as well: French Broad, Pigeon, Ocoee, Nolichucky and Chattooga.

French Broad River – Marshall
This free-flowing, delightfully scenic river will thrill even the most experienced rafters. For a wonderful intro, try the Express Trip, a 5-mile run through the Pisgah National Forest – complete with wide-open channels for beginners, plus challenging avenues for the more daring.

The New River
Considered the second oldest river in the world, the ironically-named New River offers a variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy.

There are all sorts of terrific outfitters you can hook up with along these three great rivers. Here are some chosen at random:

Appalachian Adventures
Blue Ridge Rafting & Creekside Inn
Carolina Outfitters Whitewater Rafting
French Broad Rafting
Headwaters Outfitters
Rafting in the Smokies/Pigeon River Outdoors Inc.
USA Raft
Wildwater Rafting & Outdoor Adventures

Get ready for the thrill ride of your life.

added: December 23, 2008

updated: April 3, 2012