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May 31st, 2023
An exhilarating Gatlinburg TN river rafting adventure with Smoky Mountain Outdoors.

3 Ways to Make Your Gatlinburg TN River Rafting Trip Even More Exciting

April 26, 2016 May 31st, 2023

If you’re a thrill seeker, a Gatlinburg TN river rafting trip is a an absolute must for your next vacation in the Smokies! People come from all over the United States to conquer East Tennessee’s Pigeon River, which is the the third most rafted river in the entire country. Smoky Mountain Outdoors offers a variety of adrenaline fueled trips down the Pigeon River that are sure to get your heart racing. Read on to learn about three ways you can make your rafting adventure even more exciting.

1. Take Our Upper Pigeon River Extreme An extreme Gatlinburg TN river rafting trip with Smoky Mountain Outdoors.Rafting Trip

When it comes to thrills, the upper portion of the Pigeon River is the place to be. This section of the river features roughly 70 rapids, many of which are class 3 and class 4. When you traverse the Upper Pigeon, you’ll make your way through crashing waves, experience some huge drops,  and navigate around rocks.

Smoky Mountain Outdoors offers an Upper Pigeon River rafting trip in our conventional red rafts, which can accommodate six adults. However, if you are looking for an even more exhilarating experience, you can request our Upper Pigeon River Extreme rafting package. For this trip, we use a smaller black boat that can fit a maximum of three rafters and a guide. Having a scaled down raft means that you really feel each rapid. Additionally, the guides on our Upper Pigeon River Extreme adventures don’t hold back. When they see a nice meaty wave, they won’t shy away from hitting it with full force!

Our Upper Pigeon River Extreme rafting trip is only available to guests who can swim. We also recommend having some previous rafting experience.

A man ziplining in the forest.2. Choose Our Zip + Raft Combo Package

Another way to make your Gatlinburg TN river rafting trip even more thrilling, is to take advantage of our Zip + Raft Combo Package. When you choose this deal, you’ll get an awesome rafting trip with Smoky Mountain Outdoors and an exciting zipline tour from CLIMB Works for one low price. This package saves you $20, so there’s no reason not to do it!

The zipline adventures at CLIMB Works are out of this world. Each tour is structured so your feet don’t touch the ground for 2 ½ hours! The course features nine excellent ziplines and puts you right in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. Flying through the air with the area’s breathtaking scenery all around you is guaranteed to satisfy the adrenaline junkies in your group.

3. Combine Your Rafting Adventure with a Trip to Outdoor Gravity Park

In addition to the Zip + Raft Combo deal, Smoky Mountain Outdoors has also partnered with a number of other businesses in the area to offer discount Gatlinburg attraction packages. Thrill seekers will definitely want to combine their rafting adventure with a trip to Outdoor Gravity Park.

At this one of a kind attraction, guests are placed in giant plastic Two boys in Zorb balls.hamster balls that roll down a 1,000 foot hill. Guests can choose between a ball that is filled with 10 gallons of water, or a dry ball. Anyone looking for an  exhilarating ride will not be disappointed!

To learn more about our Gatlinburg TN river rafting trips, check out the Smoky Mountain Outdoors Frequently Asked Questions page!