Daddy's Creek
3. Antioch Bridge to Devils Breakfast Table Bridge
| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 6.8 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 40 fpm |
| Permit | |
| Gauge | Daddys Creek Near Hebbertsburg, Tn |
| Flow Rate as of 56 minutes | 35 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 15, 2026 |
'The scenery is spectacular! The water is emerald green. The whitewater is challenging without being extreme. Just mentioning Daddy's Creek Canyon will bring a smile on anyone's face who has experienced this place.' - Rob Martin
Daddy's Creek Canyon is the Cumberland Plateau's proudest stream for solid intermediate to advanced paddlers looking for a high quality Class III-IV paddling experience that hits all the marks. Contained within protected public lands, Daddy's cuts a dramatically beautiful sandstone canyon full of large vertical walls, massive boulders, and quality whitewater. The run is remote, committing, and as with any plateau stream, has a fair share of dangerous spots to be mitigated. Changes in water levels produce a profound difference in the canyon, with low water consisting of mostly Class III, slow, containable, pool-drop rapids, and high water braiding it all together into an outrageous and pushy Class IV and beyond barrage of sticky holes and flushy rapids.
The river has a big flow window, and in a good winter/spring, has water more days than not. Try to avoid getting caught on the river when it's rising. At normal flows, Daddy's Creek is somewhat comparable in difficulty to Sinks to the Elbow on the Little River, and the Upper Tellico Ledges, but with more danger, commitment, and remoteness. If you think the run is anywhere near approaching a challenging experience for you, it's recommended to find a competent guide for your first run or three. Boaters stepping down into the run may enjoy reading and running. Lots of cool slots, moves, and play abound in this boulder-dominant river-scape. Daddy's is a mainstay of the area and a true locals favorite. Enjoy!
Daddy's Creek below the put-in at Antioch Bridge starts slow, with nice contemplative strokes soon leading to really fun Class II-II+ whitewater with lots of opportunities to warm up. A mile in, watch for The Sleeper, a Class III rapid that has dished out some beatings i
...Parking is limited at the put-in. Generally, paddlers park on the upstream river-left side of Antioch Bridge, in a small gravel pull-out. It's critical to not block the driveway that leads out of the back of this gravel lot. Someone lives back there, and so far has a favorable view of paddlers, but this take is ours to lose with inconsiderate parking behavior. Make as much room for other paddlers, while keeping access to the driveway open. Once parked, walk the driveway 20 yards upstream to where an access trail cuts back down to your left, leading to the water's edge just upstream of the bridge.
Yellow Creek joins from river-right. Another half-mile of paddling will lead to the start of the harder whitewater.
Spike is the first named rapid of Daddy's Creek Canyon proper. A tricky and sticky ledge just upstream marks the first drop, after which the river bends right and funnels into a narrow, ever-steepening rock corridor that finishes at a 3 foot sloping ledge. The far right side at the bottom has a dark room to that's easily avoided by staying center with a touch of left angle. Watch the swirly eddy on the left if you're too avoidant, and at low water (Under 1.4) the namesake 'Spike' rock begins to stick up in the center of the line, so move a little more left.
Rattlesnake is the most complex and enduringly challenging rapid on Daddy's Creek. After an entrance boulder field with some undercuts funnels the flow left, the river builds steam and rolls over a ramping, green wedging tongue, into a crashing hole and one of the most dynamic eddies around. Push through the back of the eddy and then drive left into the back of a hallway with an eddy on the left bank, allowing a break. From here, at low flow, drive out heading far right of center, boofing the right side of a high point with a righty. Check this spot for wood as it sometimes collects here. With enough water, over 550 cfs, it's pretty easy to drive just left of the high point and through a clean ledge hole. HAZARD - please stay right after finishing the rapid. There is a very bad undercut sieve on the left side under some large boulders. This spot is in the left side of the rapid's outflow. Make sure folks understand to finish hard right.
Rocking Chair is a little shorter, and more creekier than Rattlesnake, and not far downstream. Some of the flow splits right around a subtle island, making for a good portage/sneak. The island also affords the best scout. Go left at the split and then eddy hard right to scout the main move. Here you want to push river-right and over a small ledge next to a gnarled up Sycamore tree. Just below this point, the island flow over on the right comes screaming down and pushes back left. Avoid going with it by keeping ferry angle to the right and left edge down, before dropping over the second, bigger ledge. Some of the flow at the base of this ledge pushes far left into a bad crack/sieve, that depending on wood contents and water level, is anywhere from a runnable slot to a deadly sieve. Set good safety, make good decisions.
A fun ledge with a narrow juicer slot far right at the bottom. Tuck the hip and stay just off the slab on the right for best results.
The take-out at Devil's Breakfast Table can only be accessed from the east (river-right). The bridge has been condemned by the state so avoid being routed there from the west, Crossville, and Otter Creek Road. Come in from Hebbertsburg Road.
Park head-in, to make room for other paddlers, fishermen, and a variety of area user groups. This area is only open between sunrise and sunset hours, and is squarely within Catoosa Wildlife Management Area, a TN state run area with lots of rules. This area is NOT accessible during the wildlife rest period, which begins February 1st of every year and ends the last Friday of March every year. During this time a long paddle to Nemo, or a longer shuttle around to Obed Junction is required.
The Cumberland Trail is accessed across the old bridge and up the road about 150 yards, to a faint trailhead on the left side. This trail does in fact wind all the way back to the put-in road, making for one of the best self-shuttles in the state.
Jan 11, 2026
A simple update that a strainer which had been in Rocking Chair rapid for a while was removed in late 2025. As of Jan 11, 2026 no significant strainers observed at a level of 1.9ft
Dec 7, 2018
There are a few things to be noted that I will put here in the comments until I have time to edit this page.
Access to Daddys Creek for paddling has been greatly expanded thanks to American Whitewater and local volunteers. For more details on when it is and is not OK to access Devils Breakfast Table as a take out, please see the following link and be sure to click on 'A letter to American Whitewater' as well:
https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Article/view/articleid/34090/display/full/
Note that you can put in at Antioch Bridge and paddle 18 miles down to Nemo on the Emory year round.
Contrary to popular belief, although the difficulty drops to class II-III, Daddys Creek is good down to 1'. Some of the lead in rapids will be a little scrapy, but if you take your time, you can generally find a channel. All of the major rapids go just fine. Two tips about low flow: 1. Spike is worthy of a quick look...run it FAR left (like bow up on the rock far left). 2. The best line at Fang is definitely the right side boof.
Also noteworthy is Daddys Creek Go Fast Day which occurs on the first Saturday of the year when Daddys has a flow between 1.4'-2.4'. For more information, go to and follow Daddys Creek Go Fast Day on Facebook. This is where you will get information on the details of the event and is also where Go Time is announced.
