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Upper Pigeon River: Premier Whitewater Rafting Experience
4.9
550 Ratings
Hartford
The Pigeon River Gorge traverses the Smoky Mountains from North Carolina to Tennessee in an east to west direction. The Upper Section of this river provides one of the most frequented rafting experiences in the U.S, serving as an excellent initiation to whitewater adventures.
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Pigeon River - The Pigeon River gorge slices from the east to the west through the Smoky Mountains, transitioning from North Carolina to Tennessee. It provides those on the water with sweeping vistas of the Great Smoky Mountains and a refreshing escape from the summer warmth.
- Big Creek Expeditions - The premier rafting adventure on the Upper Pigeon River is found near Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville. Just a 45-minute journey will bring you to Big Creek Expeditions. Here, you and your companions will create enduring memories while savoring the Great Smoky Mountains in their truest formâout in nature.
![](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/attractions-splice-spp-720x480/0a/29/63/0e.jpg)
What's Included
- Equipment provided: life jacket, helmet, paddle
What's Not Included
- Lunch and Snacks are not included
Additional Information
- Guests will then meet their personal guide and recieve the necessary equipment Including: life jacket, helmet and paddle.
- After your guide double-checks to make sure all equipment is fitted properly, guests then hop on our bus for a short 10-minute ride to the launching point for your trip.
Location
3671 Hartford Rd
Hartford Road
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(550 Ratings)
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R147exmelissar
Aug 23, 2024
Fun, exciting, well organized rafting trip! - Rafting was such a fun activity for our family! We were all beginners and we felt safe but there was adventure and excitement too. Our Guide LJ was very experienced, helpful, informative and fun. The river and surrounding landscape is gorgeous! Big Creek Expeditions is very well run.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O8305vfrickb
Aug 19, 2024
Perfect rafting experience - 6 of us, ages 12-66 went on a beautiful Wednesday. Andrew was our guide and he made this rafting trip a 5 star experience. The joy of white water rafting is that the customers provide the speed but the guide steers the raft per their experience for the best spot to hit the rapids. A good guide reads the crew and picks a harder or easier experience to get the best ride for those in the raft. The river doesn't make the trip, the guide does, and Andrew hit a homerun. We saw at least 30 rafts on the river that day, and it was my observation that the Big Creek Expedition rafts had the biggest smiles on their paying customers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
564carsonc
Aug 17, 2024
Parrish was AWESOME!! - Awesome experience with my family of nine! Our guide, Parrish was incredible and became part of our family for the morning. The whole team was hilarious and well prepared making for an amazing experience for the whole family from age 12 to 62!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dgk57
Aug 15, 2024
We were thrilled! - We were very impressed with being able to have our whole group of 9 in one raft! Justin was our guide and he showed great skill on our float. We are all senior citizens and this could have been a problem but Justin made it a vacation highlight. His mother “ raised him right”! He has great skill navigating the river and we had a great time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D2431cvjillg
Aug 13, 2024
The best experience. - We had the best time on our rafting experience with Parish as our guide. It was great fun and informative.. we are still talking about the power of the dragon fly. Well done and look forward to coming back.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stumpyb2023
Aug 13, 2024
Rafting Upper Pigeon River - White water rafting experience was great for us as we had never been before. There was some rolling rapids and there were some flat areas. Our guide Gilly made the experience fun, and she was very knowledgeable about rafting. We felt very safe, but also had a lot of fun.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Phillips488
Aug 4, 2024
Best experience hands down - All 7 of us ages 10 to 68 had an absolute blast. Elton was our guide and knocked it out of the park. He was a great mixture of funny, experienced, and overall made us all extremely comfortable. We are ready to go back again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q3137yclindat
Jul 30, 2024
You will love it! - We went on a rafting trip on 7/24/24. Two adults and two teenagers. We were all first timers. We had an amazing time! Tony was our guide and he was fantastic. The river was perfect for our group - some calm areas and some not so calm areas. Our guide let us jump in the river for a quick dip which was so refreshing. I would highly recommend Big Creek.
There was plenty of parking. The changing facilities were good. There are food trucks nearby for food.
PS - If you are traveling to/from the Pigeon Forge area, do not listen to google maps if it doesn't take you on 40. The return drive was not fun although very pretty in some areas. The roads are very curvy and hilly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mary_b
Jul 29, 2024
Most exciting rafting trip ... - Greatest ride ever... Jimmy was a great guide, well informed, knew the river. Kept it exciting and safe..
Review provided by Viator
Kellylb8087on
Jul 27, 2024
A Fun Adventure! - We had a fantastic time! The whole experience was well organized and the staff were very knowledgeable and fun. Our guide was Shane-we really enjoyed chatting with him and felt good about his guiding our raft. I was concerned about the more difficult rapids, but followed instructions and everything went just fine. Our whole group (party of 4) really enjoyed our time and would go again, using this company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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