Tennessee Creates New 'Office of Outdoor Recreation' to Get You on the Water

According to the release, the department’s first major task will be to develop new water trails — trails along bodies of water for everything from short day trips by canoe to multi-day packrafting trips. While the new office is likely to be a boon for the state’s tourism industry, attracting visitors to its roughly 61,000 miles of streams and rivers, it’s also meant to protect some of the state’s more vulnerable resources, such as waterways, lakes, and wetlands.

If you’re obsessed with seeing the world from the water, here are three Tennessee rivers you may want to explore.

The Obed River

Rafting the Pigeon River with Smoky Mountain Outdoors in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.Photo: Tennessee Tourism/

For adrenaline junkies, the Obed River is Tennessee’s crown jewel of whitewater. Carved through the Cumberland Plateau, the river is a challenge for beginner and intermediate paddlers. Kayakers and rafters will find a variety of rapids, from Class II to IV, and since it’s a protected national river, there’s plenty of pristine shoreline and abundant wildlife. There aren’t many outfitters in the area that offer shuttle service or guided trip, so it’s best to do with a group of experienced rafters who understand the logistics of planning a point-to-point paddle trip.

There are six Obed River access points throughout Tennessee, managed by the state. A smaller portion of the river is managed by the National Park Service and called the Obed Wild and Scenic River. But no matter where you decide to put in, the cost to access and use the pretty waterway is a whopping $0.

The French Broad River

Photo: Alisha Bube/Shutterstock

The French Broad River flows from North Carolina to Knoxville, Tennessee, where it feeds into the Tennessee River. The French Broad Scenic River is a 33-mile-long section from the North Carolina border to just east of Knoxville. Along this section, there are nine access points roughly four to five miles apart, so you can do your own point-to-point trips fairly easily.

If you’re keen to experience the river’s whitewater action, you’ll find no shortage of operators. The section called the French Broad Paddle Trail runs for 140 miles through several areas with guides and rental companies, including several in Tennessee’s Cocke and Jefferson counties. If you want to do just a quick half day trip, you can find outfitters in towns like Knoxville (where Knoxville Adventure Collective offers rentals and shuttle services for a leisurely birdwatching float) and Erwin, where Blue Ridge Paddling leads guided rafting and kayak trips.

The Tennessee River tributaries

Whitewater rafters on the Ocoee River in Ducktown, Tennessee. Photo: Tennessee Tourism/Jeff Adkins

You can’t talk about Tennessee rivers without mentioning the eponymous Tennessee River. It runs for 652 miles, starting in Knoxville and running west to Paducah, Kentucky. As you might imagine, it offers multiple options for overnight paddling and packrafting experiences. Most trips are on tributaries, as the main channel is primarily for larger vessels and shipping boats. Local outfitters near major cities like Chattanooga and Knoxville can provide equipment rentals and guided tours, ranging from quick afternoon trips to week-long adventures.

Most rafting and paddling companies in western Tennessee will likely be using a tributary of the Tennessee River, such as the Holston, Little Tennessee, Hiwassee, Paint Rock, or Duck Rivers. Do a search for rafting trips along any of those and you’ll likely find plenty of good options.