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January 17th, 2023
white water rafting in Gatlinburg

How Gatlinburg White Water Rafting Can Improve Your Life

July 31, 2014 January 17th, 2023

Since the early 1970’s, white water rafting has been one of the most popular outdoor adventures in the United States. It is no secret that spending time on the river is one of the best ways to experience some of the most beautiful views that the Smoky Mountains have to offer. However, outside of the scenic views and thrilling experience, did you know that white water rafting in Gatlinburg can also help improve your life as a whole?

Helps You Face Your Fears

When you are facing a Class III or a Class IV rapid, it is easy to feel a little bit nervous, especially if it is your first time on the river. However, with a little encouragement from your guide and a deep breath, you will conquer that rapid without any problem.

What is even better is you can take that moment of confidence with you once you leave the river and apply it to intimidating situations in your everyday life. Similar to when you went Gatlinburg white water rafting, with a little encouragement from someone you are close with and a deep breath, you can easily face any challenge in front of you!

Build Stronger Relationships

group white water rafting in GatlinburgGatlinburg white water rafting is all about teamwork. You have to work together  in order to conquer all of the rapids on your Gatlinburg white water rafting adventure.

An added benefit to this is once you have spent 2 ½ hours working hand-in-hand with your fellow rafters, you will leave the river with better and stronger relationships with them because of the unique experience you all now share.

In addition, thanks to the fact that our white water trips help build these great relationships, it wouldn’t be a stretch to use this adventure as a way to help improve connections during your next church trip, business retreat or Smoky Mountain wedding.

Click here to find out more about our group Gatlinburg white water rafting trips.

Boosts Energy Levels

One of our favorite part about our Gatlinburg white water rafting trips is the boost of adrenaline that occurs when you are on the river. This feeling of hyper-excitement is a sure fire way to boost your energy levels for the day. If you have a friend or family member that has been complaining about feeling tired or sluggish during your vacation, take them out on the river and see how they feel after.

Reduces Stress

white water rafting in GatlinburgAlong with boosting your energy level, another added benefit of adrenaline is its ability to help individuals reduce their stress levels. The way it works is that you become highly focused on the task at hand, so all the worries and negative thoughts are washed away with the current of the river.

Besides, isn’t the whole point of taking a Smoky Mountain vacation is to relax and reduce stress from everyday life? Let our expert guides at Smoky Mountain Outdoors help you this trip by reserving one of our Gatlinburg white water rafting tours today. All you have to do is give us a call at 865-430-3838.

Raises Self-Confidence Levels

Remember how earlier we told you that a Gatlinburg white water rafting adventure can help you face your fears? It is with the same reasoning that guests will leave the river with a new level of confidence.

Not only are you able to say that you accomplished a Gatlinburg white water rafting trip, but the heightened sense of self-awareness brought on by the adrenaline will leave you walking a little taller and smiling a little bigger once you return home from your Smoky Mountain vacation.

Creates Long-Lasting Memories

person white water rafting in GatlinburgHow many times have you been hanging out with some of your friends or family members and the conversation ends up turning into a ‘remember that time when..’ story session? What is great about these stories is that they are the memories that follow you for a lifetime, and, once you hear it, you are taken back to that happy time and place.

By adding a ‘remember that time we went Gatlinburg white water rafting’ to your collection of favorite stories, you and your loved ones will always be able to look back and smile when you think about your latest trip to the Smoky Mountains.

White Water Rafting in Gatlinburg Safety

Now that you know all of the secret benefits of rafting, we want to go over a few of the most important Gatlinburg white water rafting safety tips to help you prepare for your next visit with us.

Listen to the guides

Before each trip down the river, our guides give guests a 20 minute safety instruction. This is when they go over the different commands guests may hear during their Gatlinburg white water rafting adventure, as well as how to hold the paddle, what to do in case the raft tips, how to brace yourself for a rougher rapid, and more.

We cannot stress enough the importance of listening to the guides during their safety talk and once you are out on the water.

Wear a helmet

Gatlinburg white water rafting helmetsYou may think that because you are in the water you don’t need to wear the helmet that is given. I mean, it’s not like you are going to be riding a bike. However, it is actually really important that you keep your helmet on throughout out your Gatlinburg white water rafting trip because you never know if something may happen and you can hit your head on a rock, accidentally get bumped in the head by a paddle, or might generally want something to protect your head.

Don’t forget your life jacket

Like the helmet, wearing a life jacket while you are on the river is extremely important. In the unlikely event that the raft tips over or for some reason you fall out, the life jacket will help you keep your head above water as you either swim back to the raft or to the shore.

Smoky  Mountain Outdoors provided guests life jackets, and they can accommodate a chest girth up to 54”.

To reserve your next Gatlinburg white water rafting adventure today, give us a call at 865-430-3838, or feel free to use the Gatlinburg White Water Rafting Reservation form on our website. There you can also find our prices and raft times.