City: Gatlinburg, TN

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (865) 436-5008, (800) 776-7238

Address: 2470 East Parkway

Description: One way to gain an appreciation for the awesome power of nature is to watch a National Geographic special on TV. But a much better (and wetter) way is to plunk yourself down right in the middle of it for some hair-raising, white-knuckle excitement in a fairly safe environment. Here’s how Rafting in the Smokies works: If you’ve made reservations in advance (highly recommended), you’ll get your tickets in the mail, along with directions to the outpost in Hartford. The outpost is at exit 447 on Interstate 40, near the Tennessee/North Carolina border (about 45 minutes to an hour from downtown Gatlinburg). If you haven’t made reservations, you can go either to the office on East Parkway, about 6 miles east of traffic light #3 in downtown Gatlinburg, or to the office at 3249 River Road in Pigeon Forge. (The Gatlinburg headquarters is actually in the mountain town of Pittman Center, a well-kept secret that would like to stay that way.) Then you’ll drive to the outpost, following the directions you receive with your tickets.Two trips are available on the Pigeon River. The hairier trip is the Big Pigeon adventure, which begins with a ride in a shuttle bus to the put-in, 5 miles upriver. This run offers both Class III and Class IV rapids and is rated as one of the most exciting white-water raft rides in Tennessee. Flanked by the national park on one side and Pisgah National Forest on the other, the Big Pigeon run drops sharply through 5 miles of almost continuous rapids in a fast-moving hour-and-a-half ride. Don’t worry if you don’t have experience—the expert guides (one is in every raft) will teach you everything you need to know. By the end of the trip, you’ll end up back at the outpost. Through the height of the rafting season (May through Labor Day), this trip runs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday (the days water is released from the dam). In the shoulder seasons—in March and April and also from Labor Day through November—the schedule is different, so call for current information. For a tamer trip, the Lower Pigeon float trip is just the ticket. Leaving from the outpost, your raft will follow the swift, gentle current for 6 miles through one of the most beautiful stretches of forest in North America. At some slow points, rafters can jump in the river and swim along with the raft. On this two-hour trip, you’ll encounter Class I and II rapids and one Class III rapid at the end. The shuttle is waiting when you get out to return everybody to the outpost. Another option with this trip is to rent single or double inflatable kayaks called duckies that accompany the rafts.The Big Pigeon white-water raft run costs $39 per person (children must be at least eight years old and weigh at least 70 pounds), and the float trip (either by raft or by duckie) is $35 a head (children must be at least three years old). All rafting trips go as planned, regardless of weather conditions—if there’s any question about what you’re facing, pack a bathing suit, a complete change of clothes, and a towel. That’ll do in warm weather. If it’s cool or worse, wool socks and sweaters are recommended. And be sure of this: You are going to get wet, probably to your skin. Hot showers and changing rooms at the outpost will ensure you depart as warm and dry as when you arrived.