| Difficulty | III-V |
| Length | 9.9 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 14, 2024 |
Local expert (Ron Stewart, Box 1337, Chattanooga, TN 37401)
Lat/longitude coordinates given are for a ~12-mile section from above Tracy City to the road near the Little Gizzard confluence, but you won't paddle 12 miles. This is a paddle down, then hike-out run. As others have noted, the run suffers from pollution of sewage material, and there is a warning at Hwy. 41 with that message. At low water, the creek is almost clear, but at high-water, it pulls a great deal of sediment and, apparently, sewage-laced runoff.
Here's what Chris Guptill said back in 2002, and I think it's still a good description:
Here's a little info about some of Fiery Gizzard's rapids in a .75-1 mile stretch right near Tracy City.
The put-in is at the park off 41, with a hike down to the creek of about a half mile or so. The put-in is a short seal launch, with some class II stuff near the beginning. There is rumored to be a nice waterfall upstream, but may have wood blocking it.
Most of the creek is short-drop class II-III, with two larger drops. The first is a 10-12-foot vertical about halfway down. It's a fairly easy drop, but should be run off the highest point on river right. The landing zone on the left looks to have a lot of rocks just beneath the surface, and the hole there is much more powerful. The right side is better anyway, because the rock shelf form a nice launch pad. Still, it's best to scout this one. Take out on river right a little ways up from the drop and hike over the bridge and down beside the pool for a good look.
You'll continue down a little further through some more II-III stuff, until you hit a nice slide on river left. It's a little drop onto a slide, with no good place to pull out and scout, but as long as you stay straight, you can get through without much problem.
Continue down a ways further, and look for the confluence of another decent-sized creek. IMMEDIATELY after the conflu
...Small rapids in a narrow creek; watch for wood, of course. Boulder dodging mixed with small slides.
Approximately 8 foot waterfall -- quite clean, punchbowl type falls
Folding type water fall into a narrow canyon of black rocks. Small hole in lead-in, and ragged shelf at top. Left side wall is slightly undercut, but not as bad as presumed. Bedrock in landing area on right, keep nose up. Watch for strainers -- this thing collects wood like it's the Home Depot lumber aisle.
Drop of approximately 9-14 foot, depending upon the person asked. Popular spot for swimmers in summer, but irregular shelf extends into pool just beyond lip, so get the nose up and get 'out' away from the lip. Probably only hazardous if you go really slow and needle straight down. Most people take out below this one to hike back out.
Dec 17, 2006
If you are willing to bushwhack upstream from the trail, there is a large slide that terminates into a vertical drop. In 1998, it was completely blocked by a tree that would have been dangerous to move. To my knowledge, no one has run that drop and not many know that it exists. Post if you run it. There is also a little known 8-10ft ledge about 2 miles from campus, near the Four Seasons restaurant, that is fun for park and huck.
We started scouting the Gizzard in 96/97 based on the stores of Doug Cameron and Steve Pucket. Shortly afterwards, the hemlock blocking Monkey magically disappeared. The diagonal hole at the lip can get stiff at high water and spun a friend into a backwards descent that was scary but fine. The overhanging wall is not as bad of a problem as we expected. Don't be surprised if you go deep.
BTW, the SOPs come-along works well when needed.
Apr 23, 2006
Steve Puckette, Van Nall (senior), and I ran it in January of (I think) 1980. Soon after, Carrie Ashton ran it with some students. We all carried 'The Monkey' just below the confluence of Big and Little Gizzard (the creek that goes straight is Little Gizzard -- Big Fiery Gizzard comes in from the right just before the Monkey. I know because we fought the dam there several years ago), but students regularly run it now that the hemlock trunk does not block the drop. We started just below the picnic shelter and took out at the natural gas crossing below Sycamore Falls. It goes underground soon after that. Needs to be caught just after a heavy winter rain.
Lower Fiery Gizzard (in the valley below the old trout farm) has also been run several times by Sewanee students. It's Class I-II with strainers here and there, depending on level.