Tuckasegee,
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Section 3. Dillsboro to Rt. 1392 (Tuck)
Class II(III)
5 Miles
Dillsboro Dam
Dillsboro DamPhoto of Dillsboro Dam by Kevin Colburn
Gauge Information
River Description
Put-In Turn onto Rt. take the first right. Park in the lot.
Take-Out Tuckasegee Outfitters is on the left of US 441 North. Park in the grass and let the
owner know you're paddling.
The action picks up after the Rail Road Bridge. Look for mostly wave trains with a few holes
scattered about. Good river for beginners at levels around 1500cfs. This level pads things out and
covers a lot of flipping rocks, but in the event of a swim the "yard sale" is easily recovered.
There are a few play spots along the way, but nothing to write home about.
Watch for floating debris. A kayaker was killed when he became entangled in a rubber belt, so be
careful!
StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2004-05-20 23:51:14
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level was at 5,810 CFS. I have been down the tuck countless number of times instructing, or just
for leisure. Today was the funnest I have had out there. We put in Dillsboro and paddled Scotts
Creek into the Tuck. Right across the hotel there was a new tree down, and those little rapids
there weren't too bad. Once we got down to Railroad then things "beefed" up a bit. It added some
new features on River Left, and the Railroad hole was pumping at this level. It look a bit choppy,
and I had a creek boat so I didn't get in. As for the other rapids. nice 2-3 foot waves. There are
numerous decent playholes and waves along the way. Double Drop had a face lift to it. It had about
3-4 ft waves in the middle which were fun. To sum it all up, The Tuck at 5,800 is like running the
entance rapids to the Nantahala Falls. It was a lot of fun consider the fact I drove about 13
minutes to get there.
release schedule described in an earlier comment. First of all, the number used by AW in their
river levels page for this section is not the most accurate depiction of water in the gorge. They
use the numbers from the Bryson City gauge which is almost always higher than the actual CFS in the
gorge. HOWEVER, it appears that their MINIMUM level is based on the levels near Bryson City, so I
guess it's all relative. For accurate flow levels in the gorge, check the USGS gauge for Tuckasegee
R at Barkers Creek (This is the take out). Below is the link directly to the Gauge page.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nc/nwis/uv/?site_no=03510577&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 I would say a
nice minimum on the Barkers Creek gauge would be around 500 with a BARE minimum of 400-450. As the
water rises, this turns into a solid Class II run with decent sized holes and wave trains that are
a small step down from most of what you find on the Nantahala. At around 2000 on the Bryson City
gauge, the Tuck becomes one of the best novice runs in the mountains. It can be used to prepare you
well for the Nantahala if you are interested in running that frozen river without swimming on you
FIRST attempt.
II. At higher flows (very high),it is easily a III but very straightforward and fun.
All you do is stay in the middle and plow right through.
(1) During the Primary Angling Periods (defined as the first weekend after Labor
Day through the last weekend of October and April 1 through the first weekend of
June), the preferred flows are at or below about 500 cfs as measured at the
reactivated USGS Gage #03510500 at Dillsboro ("Dillsboro Gage") (or a suitable
replacement gage in this vicinity as determined by USGS). During part of this
time period, boating release schedules overlap. During this overlap period (the
Saturday that occurs nine days before Memorial Day through the first weekend of
June and Saturdays in September and October), the Normal Generation Schedule
to Support Recreation shall be six hours per day on the Sunday of Memorial Day
weekend plus Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday for the period between
Memorial Day weekend through the first weekend in June and one of four
Saturdays in September and October.
(2) During the Primary Boating Periods (defined as the period after the first
weekend of June through Labor Day), actual flows of about 800 cfs (as measured
at the reactivated or replacement USGS gage at Dillsboro) are preferred. During
this time period, the Normal Generation Schedule to Support Recreation shall be:
(a) For three out of four weeks, flows on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday plus
the Monday of Labor Day weekend for six hours per day and (b) For one out of
four weeks, flows on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday for six hours per day.
The Licensee shall initiate all releases required by this Article at such time so that
the released flow first arrives at the Dillsboro Gage (or a suitable replacement
gage in this vicinity as determined by USGS) at approximately 10:30 AM.
rate this at II to II+ at this level. The folks at the outfitters just below the bridge at the
take-out were very accomodating in allowing me to leave the take-out vehicle there and using their
ramp for the take-out.