Richland Creek
Old Dayton Reservoir to Laurel-Snow Parking Lot
| Difficulty | III-IV(V) |
| Length | 0.7 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 200 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 14, 2024 |
River Description
Hike up run.
For two nearby streams with mucho gradiente, check out Henderson Creek and Morgan Creek.
The parking lot is located in Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness Area, within the Cumberland Trail State Park. From Dayton, take Hwy 30 towards Pikeville. Take a right onto Back Valley Rd. The bridge on Back Valley has the spray paint gauge. The minimum is about -.8ft starting to get beefy (for hike up) around 1.0ft. Continue on Back Valley Rd until you reach Pocket Wilderness Rd a mile ahead on the left, across from a Church. From the parking lot, hike as high as you feel comfortable. It is about 1.3 miles to the Old Dayton Reservoir. The gate at Back Valley Rd is closed each evening at dusk by the State Park.
The first drop is the 'Reservoir', very straight forward and requires little maneuvering. Some good warm up class III boulder gardens get you started. The first major rapid, 'Timber-rattler' is a steep boulder garden ending with a five foot boulder choke with a somewhat sticky hole at the bottom. Starting right, follow the main flow left punching the first hole. It is shallow on this left side so you will be in contact with boulders. Turning back right, a small pool lets you get up just enough speed for the final drop. This at lower levels however. It's nonstop when Henderson is running. Don't get to carried away at 'Timber-rattler'....the left house-sized boulder is actually a giant sieve usually full of wood. Next, take the river right 4 ft slot or one can run left. Stay right through the class III rapids to set you up for 'Left Down Hut' around the the bend. 'Left Down Hut' is created by a finger slab. If you go straight, then you will be welcomed by a huge boulder awaiting your pin, hence the turn left. The total drop is about 8 feet. A small pool is below and then anothe
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a report'Trailhead Boogie' or 'West Prong Line'...i.e., left of island at 'Left Down Hut' has a log in the final drop as of 1/13. I was anxiously traveling down this side at 1.2' while running Henderson and scrambled rather quickly to a pool to avoid my head being taken off. Also, beware of boil and hole which forms at the top of Timber-rattler at high levels. There is a slab on river right which elevates the water level creating a difficult situation. One can easily be surfing next to a nasty undercut. At normal levels it is not much of a problem. I believe cheater lines open up on river left at high water, presenting the option to avoid river right main line and potential problems.
2005 wood in Richland. Boated Richland this morning (11/29) and there is a tree down near the top of 'Left Down Hut' a tree down in the center line on 'Praying Hands' and two trees across the creek just below 'Weirdo'.
Richland gauge has changed from the Hurricane Ivan flood. I believe it to be around 6-7inches off, if not more, meaning, old 7 inches is now 0. The richland hike-up run can be done below where the gauge reads by a few inches.
Henderson minimum would now be more like 11-12 inches? I'll know sooner than later hopefully.
Clay, I'm moving back to Dayton late 2004. Hope to get this tied to online gauge readings, not to mention paddling it more! The best one to consider now is Big Sewee in Decatur. Very close to watershed with a similar size and all.
From Mark Cumnock
Richland Creek
This is the ultimate Park-n-Play. It has a hiking trail, which used to be the water main pipeline for the community of Dayton, Tennessee. Hike two miles up .It is an easy walk, almost flat. The creek drops, but you don
Can we try and tie this to an online guage?
Perhaps N Chick?
Great rapids to run when all else has dropped out.
Emory?
Clay
The first drop of significance on Richland. The rapid begins with several calm s-turns with a few undercuts thrown in for fun, then a drastic turn to river left down a 3ft slot. Catch an eddy if you can and set up to hit several 3ft shallow drops and a hole. Use the small pool just above the final drop of 5ft (shown)to collect and gather as much speed as you can. Avoid far river right. Splat rock just below drop on river left.
My favorite rapid on the run. The classic way to run this is to drop over this 3footer and catch the eddie on the right to set up for the rest.
second drop of the last major rapid. hang out on river left. hole gets sticky at high water.
a far of shot of the steepest section on richland creek.
a lower shot gives an idea of the size of this rapid. a fun one indeed, only 75 yards from the parking lot.