Little Pigeon, West Prong

3. Campbell Overlook to Sugarlands Visitor Center(Lower Lower)

DifficultyIII-V
Length2.1 mi
Avg Gradient270 fpm
GaugeWest Prong Little Pigeon R Nr Gatlinburg, Tn
Flow Rate as of 26 minutes
42 cfsbelow recommended
Reach Info Last UpdatedJanuary 9, 2007

River Description

Tennessee Whitewater, by Mayfield

The description below is taken from 'section two' of the west prong:

However, you don't have to take out here if you're still up for a few more class IV's, solid class III and one BIG class V. The following rapid descriptions apply to what is being called section 3 of the West Prong, http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/1761/.

However, the top part of this section 3 should be considered in the Picnic section, as, half of the time people don't take out at Campbell Overlook (especially with higher water levels), and two, there are big rapids yet to go that don't compair to the class II only from the Park Headquarters to Gatlinburg. With that being said...

Thors hammer: This rapid is not too far from the Campbell Overlook takeout. You'll find yourself hanging out on river left shortly before the drop, generally speaking, and when you begin to notice the river widening to the right, it's Thors Hammer. The river goes through many different slots with many different lines, all of them usually on the shallow side of life.

In a Hurry: This drop is as big as anything on the standard Picnic section. It's sort of like a longer Room Without a View but with In a Hurry mostly being straight on.

The take out, is close to a 1/2 mile below In a Hurry, the second walkway from the Vistors Center. You'll have gone through quite a bit of class II. The trail is easy to miss, so hike down from the takeout to make sure you know where to get out.

The West Prong, Trailhead and Picnic respectively, are very demanding runs and not to be taken lightly. It's best to go down with someone that knows the river. The rapids mentioned above are mostly class IV+ to V, meaning, there are no names for the scores of continuous class IV and III that you see. Trees are always an issue, so make sure you chat with loca

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River Features

Put In

Distance: 0 mi

Take Out

Distance: 2.13 mi
Take Out

My warning about wood in the previous notice is now obsolete as the wood has been cut out at the bottom of the big class 5 Go for it