Stinging Fork,

Stinging Fork Falls

Stinging Fork Falls
Photo of Jimmy Kincaid by Kim Murrell taken 01/27/2002 @ low water

River Description

Very beautiful, looks like fun, but with a well-deserved nasty reputation. Many good boaters apparently figure it's simply not worth it

Gomer wrote, in Boater Talk:
"Over a mile carry-in to the Falls. Counting the lead-in drop, I'd say it's a double drop of perhaps 60'. Probably best to run it with a lot of water so you'll land in a foam pile instead of on a static surface. There's a small rocklip in the lower part of the main drop that can launch one into an automatic boof, and, as GaCreeker says above, that's not desirable. The last time I was there (many moons ago) a good friend severely injured his back and never returned to the sport at the level he was at prior to that incident.

You can run all the way down to the takeout for the Piney River. It is a total of about seven miles with the first 2.5 being on Stinging Fork and the last 4.5 being on Soak Creek. Stinging Fork has a gradient of close to 280 ft/mile. Other than the falls, Stinging Fork has a twenty foot slide shortly after. There are some nasty undercuts, but some good ledges and rapids as well. There is wood. Soak Creek averages 100 ft/mile, so expect some good class 3 boogie with possible strainers and shoaly regions.

Ga_Creeker's contribution was, simply:
"Don't boof it. I know of several people that have hurt their back on this one."

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For further information visit: www.waldensridgewhitewater.com