The Place to Share |
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Our Route Summary
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Entry
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Exit (for one way trip)
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What We SawThis paddle is a nice warm up for Nantahala whitewater. And it's also a nice tubing run (to warm up for the upper portion of Deep Creek :-). We like this run especially because we normally stay at the Heart of the Smokies Cabins whose front yard is the put in area. You'll be within view of the Oconaluftee dam just upstream of the put in. Near any controlled dam, always be prepared for the possibility of a sudden release of water that can raise river levels and currents quickly. In the summer, however, we've never seen such a release from this dam. We have seen some changes in water levels and flows, however. The Oconaluftee River shares it's name with the Oconaluftee Cherokee. Yonaguska (ca 1760-1839), chief of the Oconaluftee Cherokee, lived nearby and opposed removal of his people from their homeland.. |
The short paddle will take you on flowing flat water,
small rapids, and beautiful trees on the Oconaluftee to
it's intersection with the Tuckasegee River about 1/3
mile downstream on river left. Tubers notice the warmer
waters of the higher Tuckasegee River as it drops into
the Oconaluftee. There is also a small island where the
rivers merge where we walk and fish among the boulders. The Tuckasegee River winds along flowing flat water along cabins overlooking the river on the right under a cool canopy of overhanging trees. Where the river branches, take the branches on river right to proceed to the take out point. Along rapids, beware of strainers and debris that can accumulate, particularly on river right as it narrows. |
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We passed the rapid shown at left just upstream of a
bridge. The takeout was on river right shortly after the
bridge. It's also possible to continue on the Tuckasegee River farther down. There is another public takeout several miles down on river left on the north west side of the bridge where Route 19 crosses the river. This area appears to have some pullovers, however, in areas where the river widens. And I was also told there are some Class 3 or 4 rapids on the Tuckasegee River upstream of where it joins the Oconaluftee if the water level is up. |