Little
0. Old Rail Bridge to Elkmont C.G. (Hike Up Elkmont)(Hike Up Elkmont)
| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 6.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 150 fpm |
| Gauge | Little River Above Townsend, Tn |
| Flow Rate as of 25 minutes | 1.77 ftbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | February 24, 2014 |
River Description
This is one of the best runs in the park, and no one ever does it. It runs alot too. It has excellent scenery and class 3-4 creeking. It is similar in difficulty to Upper Tremont, but lacks the bone jarring jank that Tremont is known for. The rock here is smoother and more naturally placed. There are tons of boofs in the 2-3 foot range and high quality rapids throughout, with a nice intense middle stretch of a half mile.
The hike to the putin is 3 miles, but is as easy as hiking with a boat ever gets. A shorter hike can be done 2.3 miles to Huskey Gap Branch Falls, a little feeder coming into the river from river left under a little wooden bridge. For more action that is worth the extra 10 minutes of hiking, continue up to where the big railroad tie bridge crosses the Little to river right. Cross and then putin here on hte upstream river right side.
After puting in there are a handfull of quality boulder rapids down to the short put in at Huskey Gap Branch Falls. If you are putting in here, you can slide in under the bridge and run the last 15 feet of the feeder falls. Its more fun than it looks. After this beautiful and clear pool, the river does several bends away from the trail. During the first bend, most rapids are class 3, but after a junky ledge next to a trailside bench, the second bend prooves more suprising. A bounty of great class 3-4 rapids appear in ever increasing succession, untill after several juicy sets, the big one appears.
Obvious f
...River Features
Put In
The Melting Pot
The river funnels down through a hole studded sluice in the center of the river. At the end of this sluice is a boiling drop that lands you into a undpredictable pourover. It flushes well, but inversions are common.
The Scrambler
This is the biggie. Stay out of the center of the river is the theme here. Boof far right or run the sneak far left.
Trials and Tribulations
This rapid is deceptive. The standard line is to hit a monster boof into the river left eddy, before spinning back angled right and hitting a tight ferry back to the right above a broken ledge of macabre nature. Good class 4.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportTheir is a river wide tree in a busy section of river about a mile down from the put in. It's not viable on the hike up. It is visable from the river but it's in a very busy section of river, so heads up. Portage on river right.
Watch for wood in here.
Boof far right here to avoid a bad rock in the center, or sneak in the small channel on far left over a tight double drop at higher water.
Putin where this photo was taken, just upstream of the bridge on river right. There is a little foot path that takes you to a nice little beach.
When the run is stomping you can and you want to putin here you can run the bottom of this cascade. Be sure to duck hard under the footbridge though.
This one has bad piton spots laced in the LZ. Try to run off the left corner of the ledge or far right.
If the Little is at 3 feet and you are tired of the hustle and bustle of Little River road and want some solitude, then this is your run.
These rocks are the Elkmont Sandstone, which is the same as Thunderhead Sandstone. These two rock units are what make Big Creek, Middle Prong LP, West Prong LP, Little, and Tremont the way they are. Smoothe, continuous, and high quality.
This is a sweet 3 foot ledge in the middle of the gorge stretch below The Scrambler. It is a great place for a rail grab.
This is the second or third rapid in the hard section below The Scrambler.
The scenery on this run is some of the best in the park.