Doe
3. Highway 19E bridge @ Hampton High School to Covered Bridge Park - Elizabethton(Lower Doe)
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 7.5 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 35 fpm |
| Gauge | Doe River at Elizabethton, Tn |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 14, 2007 |
River Description
Lat/Longitude data are very approximate.
River Features
Put In
Bridge Rapid
Big surfing wave above 900 cfs
Covered Bridge Weir Dam
This last feature of the run is a 2.5 feet tall spill over concrete dam onto a concrete shelf. If you decide to run the dam, run it on the river left side about 6' off the concrete deck against the bank. DO NOT RUN THE DAM FROM LEFT CENTER OF THE RIVER TOO ANYWHERE OVER TO THE FISH LADDER ON RIVER RIGHT!!! The city had the contractor install a large line of limestone quarry boulders to slow down and break up the flow. Any flow below 2,000 cfs could result in a bad accident with the boulder line below the dam. Make sure you scout this drop to find the exact line on the left before attempting to run the drop. If you elect not to run the dam, you can take out on the river right side at the concrete steps that are constructed down to the river. The steps are located just before you go under the Covered Bridge.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThe Nolichuckey was running at 19000 cfs the other day which is way above my experience level, so decided to try this little section of the Doe. The Doe was running about 290 cfs and we had not been down this section, but we decided to give it a try. It took us about 2 hours to go from the Hampton school to the park in Elizabethton.
250cfs is probably the bare level for this section. It has some nice little play spots and a few nice little class II's. I would highly recommend this section to beginners and those that need practice with ferrying, eddying, and making your moves in tight spaces. Be careful on this run for fallen trees and strainers on the bank at high water levels.
There are plenty of places to put in and take out on this stretch and you are never far from civilization, but it is a beautiful river when it runs. It takes a good rainfall on Roan Mountain for the river to rise to a runnable level.
Take out for the Lower Doe Run.
The dam is gone now, due to this flood!
This is the 1st rapid going into the horseshoe @ flood stage. At normal running levels there is about a 3' drop into a small hole.
Big Water!!!
This section has some good play on it at levels above 800 cfs. I often paddle it and gorge together which makes for 15 miles of whitewater. It's not the most difficult stretch, but it is scenic and has several nice holes and waves. The take-out is at the covered bridge park in Elizabethton.