Pocket Creek

Pocket Creek is hands down one of the best runs in Tennessee. Every rapid is runnable. The creek has smooth lines and seems to have been made for whitewater paddling. The run is located towards the southern end of the Sequatchie valley.  It flows through a winding canyon studded with arches, cliffs, and old growth forest as it cascades into the valley. The water quality is decent, and the scenery is top notch.

NOTE: Pocket Creek is located on private property that is owned and managed by the Appalachian Conservation Institute. Please obtain permission to enter the property prior to your trip. Currently, a group of local paddlers are working with the landowners to create permanent access for paddling beginning in 2025.

On the difficulty, the creek is mostly class 4 drops, with several sections that have class 5 attitude. The continuity of the bedrock stretch and the stacked move intensive nature of the boulder sections create reluctance to rate this a class 4 run. It is harder than Cain/ Chick, and is more on par with Little Possum perhaps. While you may not be running lots of class 5 on this creek, class 5 eddy hopping and boat scouting skills are highly recommended.  At 0.5 feet the run is probably slow enough to be class 4.  Above 1 foot the run is solid class 5.

The run from the gauge down starts with a short stretch of flatwater. There is one 2-foot ledge in this stretch. After a few more bends, there is a constriction and steepening of the creek as it enters the first bit of bedrock. Get out on the left ASAP to scout and likely portage. There has been a terrible large-diameter hemlock that has been blocking this spot for some time.  This starts whitewater on the run.

What follows is roughly a

...