4 Things to Know Before You Go White Water Rafting in Gatlinburg

When you go to the mountains, you want to enjoy everything they have to offer you, even cold mountain water and camping in the great outdoors! So why not go white water rafting in Gatlinburg during your vacation to the Smoky Mountains? We would love to have you raft with us at Smoky Mountain Outdoors, so here are 4 things you should know before you go white water rafting in Gatlinburg.

1. You need to be at least 8 years old or weigh at least 70 pounds to ride.

It’s all to make sure that you and everyone in the raft with you are safe! We want to make sure we are sending you down the river on the best ride possible.

2. We’ll give you the safety talks.

Before you can even go on a white water rafting adventure, you need to go through a short, and also fun, safety course. Our raft guides will tell you everything you need to know, and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are confused or didn’t hear them! We will have a lot of fun, but we want to get you geared up and properly trained so you can ride the rafts safely!

3. Pay attention to time tables.

Don’t be late to your white water rafting starting point! Make sure to pay attention when you book your trip and set a few alarms to ensure that you are on time. You can always arrive to Smoky Mountain Outdoors early – there’s a gift shop to browse through and lots of places to wander around outside while you wait. Plus, if your rafting trip is set to take off at, for example 3:00, you’ll want to get there a few minutes early if you need to change clothes or shoes. We have plenty of dressing areas available for you to change and get ready for your rafting trip!

4. Wear shoes that won’t fall off!

We know that flip flops are practically mandatory for warm weather, but we do require that you wear secure shoes. Sandals that have a strap that goes around your heel would be best, like Chacos or Tevas. Basic water shoes would be great as well as tennis shoes. If you’re rafting and happen to forget your shoes, we do have water shoes for sale at the outpost.

Each rafting trip will have a trained raft guide to help you navigate your way down the river, so there’s nothing you need to worry about! You’re going to have so much fun spending the afternoon with us!

To learn more about white water rafting, click here for 4 fun facts.

We hope you’ll reserve one of our trips to go white water rafting in Gatlinburg! See you soon at Smoky Mountain Outdoors!