White Water Rafting in the Smoky Mountains {Near Pigeon Forge, TN}

We have been to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area in Tennessee a few times now and every time we go I try to book something adventurous for our family. We’ve done ATVs, hiking to waterfalls, walking on crazy suspension bridges and bridges in trees, but this time I wanted something from my bucket list. Something I have always wanted to do but it just never worked out was white water rafting. With us being in Tenessee in the right season finally for being in the water, I was so excited to finally book our trip. 

One thing I did not realize was that there are a lot of white water rafting companies and it can definitely be overwhelming to find the right one for your family. I wanted one that was geared towards ages 12 and up since that is the age my daughter was at the time but also not boring and slow. I ended up coming across Raft Outdoor Adventures and am so glad I chose them.

Raft Outdoor Adventures has two trips to choose from, one being more adventurous than the other that is geared towards families with kids ages 3-7 years old. Both trips are on the Pigeon River either on the Upper or Lower portion. 

We chose the Upper Pigeon River Rafting trip and it consisted of:

• 2-hour trip
• Run 70 rapids, 6.5 miles
• Panoramic views of the Smoky Mountains
• Conquer 3 exhilarating class IV rapids named ‘Lost Guide,’ ‘Double Reactionary,’ and ‘Accelerator.’
• Ride 13 class III rapids such as the Powerhouse, Too Late, Vegematic, and Duck and Run.
• You’ll ride many class II rapids throughout your trip.

I will say you will get wet, more or less depending on where you sit so plan accordingly. You do give them your car keys so you don’t have to worry about those but I’d leave anything valuable otherwise in your car. They do also have a bathroom are with stalls to change clothes, which was great because we were heading right to dinner afterward. 

During the rafting, a guide will tell you when to row forward or backward and our guide was amazing. He told us lots of information about the area and white water rafting and you could tell he was passionate about it. When someone truly enjoys something it is hard to not rub off on others and make them excited as well.

I feel like our trip was done before we knew it but it was the perfect amount of time for our first time and the perfect amount of adventure. We faced some waves that were small but also some that really made our raft jump in the air. I am so glad I pushed through my fears of falling off a raft and honestly I felt safe the whole time. Our guide says people do fall off and it is serious but he prepared us for what we should do if we do go overboard. I would honestly do the exact same raft trip again as it was affordable, exciting and perfect for all the ages of my family members. 

Check out Raft Outdoor Adventures

If you have half a day and want to do something totally outside the norm – book your white water rafting trip at Raft Outdoor Adventures. They raft almost year round depending on weather and water levels!