Reviews

4,800 5-Star Reviews

See what our guests have to say about rafting with us!

Guests love visiting Smoky Mountain Outdoors! Whether you are looking to go whitewater rafting or kayaking near Gatlinburg, we have adventures for everyone! Kids and adults are both welcome at Smoky Mountain Outdoors and our reviews show that everyone has a great time with us! Take a look at our recent reviews below.

4,800 5-STAR TRIPADVISOR REVIEWS

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Smoky Mountain Outdoors (SMO) Rafting

4.9

Based on 891 reviews

Prasad Nair

15:06 11 Apr 21

Our Upper Pigeon River rafting was a fun experience. Be sure to reach early so you get enough time to check-in and shop... for essentials at the SMO store. You can purchase water shoes and eye glass straps at the store. There is a small locker to keep your car keys and wallets. You need a couple dollars on cash for that. The rafting itself is fun and our guide made kept us engaged throughout. Overall a great way to spend an hour and a half at the Smokies.read more

Lara Schaible

01:21 08 Apr 21

Our family went rafting on the Upper Pigeon River. What a fantastic trip! George, our guide was professional,... knowledgeable and more simply put a kind soul. He kept our group engaged. The time in between fun screams through the rapids were filled with laughter as we shared stories. Memories to hold for a lifetime! Thanks SMO!read more

Ella Seedorf

20:51 27 Mar 21

I am a 12 year old girl, and for my age range, I loved it!!! Amazing experience. Are instructor's name was Hope. She... was very nice and seemed to know a lot about the river. I trusted her completely. I very highly recommend spending your vacation here!read more

Dennis M

21:06 23 Mar 21

Lots of fun with a 16 and 12 year old. Good for beginners that want the excitement of rafting. Our tour guide, Spicy,... was great!!read more

Grace

19:05 23 Mar 21

We had so much fun at Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting. Our guide, Jeffrey, was really outgoing and knowledgeable on the... river. He steered us in the best places and also gave really helpful tips that saved us from falling out. It was pretty cold out but so exciting when we got splashed!!! This was by far the best experience I’ve had white water rafting. I 100% recommend going to SMO if you’re visiting the Great Smokies.read more

Dawn Young

23:45 30 Sep 20

I was so in my head and scared to death but had a wonderful time. JOSH was the absolute best. Will do again. Everyone... at SMO was great.read more

George Velez

13:59 29 Sep 20

This place is awesome!! We went on a rainy day and it made the experience that much more impressive. Our guide, Allen,... was very knowledgeable and I was confident he would get us through some class 3 and 4 rapids. This is the perfect experience for everyone. It has calm waters and exciting rapids that weren’t too difficult but a lot of fun.read more

Florencia Zavala

03:36 13 Sep 20

Cannot say enough positive things about this place. From the get go, the guy we spoke with on the phone was SUPER kind.... We got there and every staff member we encountered was dynamic, professional, knowledgeable, and kind. Our raft leader made the entire process so enjoyable by telling us what to expect before we began and communicating every step of the way. Would HIGHLY recommendread more

Carolina Andres

17:29 11 Sep 20

Visited with family from South Florida and we all enjoyed it! We originally were going to choose Wild water rafting,... since there are so many options that offer rafting in pigeon river but they had no availability so SMO was next and we had a lot of fun. The bigger kids and adults did the upper river, it can be a bit scary if is your first time or if you are someone who is not really an outdoorsy person, but the rafting is guided all through out, you take a bus from their main location then it is about a 10 min ride along with about maybe 40 or so people with you to the river and then you get into the raft and the guide explains all the different types of paddling moves, you raft back to the main location. I would recommend having smaller kids do the lower river, it is not scary at all does not require them to do any paddling. My 6 yr and 3 year old enjoyed it. Also Don't forget to tip the guide! I had to hunt mine down and could not find him so i left his tip at the tipping box in the gift store.read more

Gingah Ninja

21:39 08 Sep 20

Had an absolute blast white water rafting with you guys! Our guide D.J. was awesome! When my youngest son flew out of... the boat, he literally grabbed him in mid air as he hit the water! We will definitely be coming back again when we visit next year!read more

Ravi Teja Ainampudi

22:27 06 Sep 20

Worth trying rafting from these providers.

Erica Albert

02:28 03 Sep 20

Logan was an awesome tour guide. You wanna know how awesome this tour was?! My 12 year old daughter who hates... everything...and is also scared of her own shadow....LOVED IT. It was very painful for her to admit she had a great time with her family, but this did it. We will for sure be back next trip!!read more

Caitlin Barnes

13:29 31 Aug 20

Our family had such a great time on Saturday! I highly recommend to anyone. We absolutely loved our guide Renner! We've... done rafting before in other areas, a little more downtime on this river than others, but it is a longer ride time. Great experience and can't wait to do it again!read more

Lyn Curry

03:01 29 Aug 20

Neither my husband nor I had ever whitewater rafted before, and we chose the adventure option, 6.5 miles of river that... included Class III & IV rapids. Our guide was DJ and he was outstanding!! We always felt safe but still had plenty of thrilling moments. He encouraged our group to paddle with oomph, and we got to experience some unique moments that other boats didn't get to experience (I think it was called surfing). DJ also recommended a place along the river to taste Moonshine; we stopped on our way back to our campsite and that was so fun and also contributed to our unforgettable Appalachia trip. This company partners with CLIMBWORKS and we took advantage of the zipline/whitewater rafting deal, and it was totally worth it.read more

Sabrina Mendoza

14:53 27 Aug 20

Amazing company! The raft guides are extremely helpful and so easy going. Hayden was our raft guide and she was super... funny and engaging which made our experience so much better. I would definitely go again! Highly recommend bringing an extra pair of clothes to change into once you’re done. You have to leave belongings at their base because you get driven up to a start point and then raft back down. They have lockers on site or you can leave it in your car (they have parking on site) You can bring a go pro or waterproof camera if you’d like (I’d also recommend if you want to capture some awesome moments)read more

Anthony Irizarry

02:41 22 Aug 20

I wish I could give it a 5. Great experience, friendly staff. Guide was awesome! But, the guides and the shuttle bus... driver do not enforce wearing the masks on the ride to the drop off. This is a health and or safety concern. We had about 14 teenagers in the bus not wearing masks. I did not care that they were extremely loud and vaping but, not wearing masks???read more

Josh Perkins

02:11 17 Aug 20

Had a blast rafting with these guys. Great river for first timers. A little exciting but mostly just beautiful and fun.... Our guide knew every current and obstacle, so I never felt anxious even with my 12 year olds in the boat. The other company putting in near us seemed to have WAY more issues. Highly recommended this company over any of their competitors!!read more

Travis Gilmer

17:52 15 Aug 20

We had a great experience! Our guide was super engaging and the rapids were perfect for our family, which included 3rd... graders. Highly recommend and would go again!read more

Breyan Ramirez

18:42 29 Jul 20

It’s was a great time, did the 6.5 miles upper river. Not dangerous just pay attention to your guides and you’ll have... no issues. Will definitely come back again.read more

Stevie

20:46 28 Jul 20

Jean Paul was our guide this past weekend, July 25 and he was awesome. He was professional and made sure we all were... safe, while still having a lot of fun. He knew facts about the river and local wildlife which was cool. The length of this tour was perfect, not too short or too long, and well worth the money. I'm glad they take pictures! The river was beautiful and the entire tour was amazing. This experience is one we will never forget. Would definitely recommend!read more

Rachel K

16:15 19 Jul 20

Our guide “big Steve” was knowledgeable, funny, and pure-Tennessee. We really enjoyed the rafters, and the water felt... amazing! We were able to jump in the water for a bit, which added to the experience. I would have liked some bigger rapids, but overall was wonderful! 🙂read more

Victoria Burleigh

14:53 18 Jul 20

My husband and I went to white water rafting in Tennessee. We had a blast and can't wait to go back and do it again.... Stevie was our guide and was truly amazing and hilarious. Staff was great and friendly. This company is the definition of teamwork. The whole trip they helped each other and did a amazing job. Our experience was extraordinary!! We definitely will be returning next time we go back to Tennessee.read more

Samantha Paul

19:21 17 Jul 20

This was our family’s first rafting trip. As a mother, I was worried about the potential danger. I called and spoke... with a very friendly and informative person at Smoky Mountain Outdoors before booking. Our guide for the trip downriver was awesome. Aeron made me feel safe and at no time did I worry we were in any danger. She also put my young daughter at ease. She was very informative and kind and made our trip down the river a blast. We will definitely be returning on our next visit to the Smokies!read more

Brian Link

21:11 08 Jul 20

Great trip. Experienced staff. Anyone that wants to have fun can do the upper! If you arrive early be sure to check in... right away. They might be able to put you on an earlier trip. Also get on the website so you can do the online waivers to make it faster as wellread more

Melissa Mckiernan

00:35 05 Jul 20

These people are absolutely the best. We stayed at the campground right next to them and the fireworks were phenomenal,... the best we have seen in a long time. The kids loved it. The river guide Nyla was wonderful. Cannot Express how great these guys are!read more

Matthew Driewer

00:12 03 Jul 20

Great family adventure. Well run and clean. Excellent was to get a little thrill on some Class 3 and 4 rapids. Had a... great time with our guide, Tom and didn’t even miss the other guide that fell out on the Lost Guide rapids earlier in the day 😉read more

Phil Ross

21:52 01 Jul 20

We went on an excursion with SMO today and our family had a great time. Our guide, D.J., Did an excellent job and was... very entertaining on the bus ride to the drop off point. He made the rapids a little more lively with his approaches and made it exciting. We would do this rafting again.read more

justin land

13:09 01 Jul 20

This place is AWESOME! My girlfriend and I went here for our first time rafting and they did NOT DISAPPOINT!! Staff is... super friendly and funny. We had Corey as our guide and he was very knowledgeable about the river and made everyone comfortable! We will definitely be back!!read more

Ashley Organ

23:54 29 Jun 20

Great experience from the time we arrived. We all had a wonderful time on the upper river tour. The kids ages 8, 9,... 11&12 haven't stopped talking about it! Our guide was knowledgeable and very helpful too!read more

Nick Pfau

14:54 26 Jun 20

Awesome! This was my favorite thing to do. So much fun and they kept you safe. The guides know how to have a good... time while keeping you safe. Beautiful views!read more

Anna Williams

21:59 25 Jun 20

What an exhilarating and fun experience! We had a discount with this company through CLIMB Works Zip-Lining Company.... Our tour guide, Walker, was energetic, engaging, and did a great job with giving clear directions on what to do on the raft. Beautiful views down the river beside I-40. Our group of 7 (8 including the tour guide) all managed to stay on the raft! It was all of our first times going white water rafting, but would definitely be up to doing it again!read more

Mandy Sheriff

03:26 24 Jun 20

Amazing trip! Friendly and knowledgeable guides. Had the upper river ride with guide Tye who was fun and willing to... answer all my son’s questions. Did the lower river with guide Chuck who was nice. Felt safe and had a great time!read more

Michael Lang

19:04 20 Jun 20

Our guides for our party of 12 were friendly and made it as fun as possible. The lower pigeon was less rough than we... hoped, so its a great option for anyone with small kids. Compared to same rating Colorado waves it was an easy smooth ride. I would do the upper pigeon next time. We made reservations the day of and had a spot 2 hours later. During booking, we asked about social distancing on the bus ride and they assured that they do separate groups with empty seat rows. The check in office had plenty glass barriers for the cashier. We had felt it would be a safe trip with only minimal exposure to one guide, and with them sitting behind us on the boat. The bus ride back is not what was promised. At the end of the trip, the guides said we had seats with space around and we could get on, but as we boarded we saw it was packed with no social distance around our seats. We were crammed in tight with the guides standing in aisles and all seats filled. Then one of the guides (not ours) stood directly in front of our group with no mask on, in front of my 71 year old mother in law that had a mask on and made jokes, and didn't take the hints to stand back. After the day was over, the manager apologized and promised to work on improving while giving us a refund. We didn't ask for a refund, but it indicates to me they are serious.read more

Rob Vigh

23:09 18 Jun 20

This was a great time. The guides were Awesome. We had Brett on the rapids and he knew the river so we'll. On the... lower half we had Hayden an she was very good as well. The were lively and engaging. They were everything you would want in river guides.read more

Sean Thornton

02:58 17 Jun 20

My wife and I decided to go white water rafting for our anniversary and Smokey Mountain Outdoors did not disappoint.... Our guide Caleb was an amazing guide. He was a great teacher before we got started and he showed us a great time. There are many rafting companies in the area but I highly recommend Smokey Mountain Outdoors. Everything in my opinion was top notch and I can't wait to do it again.read more

Kevin McClure

12:37 14 Jun 20

Great rafting experience for the family. Option for higher or lower level whitewater rafting. Guides are really good.... Open four days a week when water is released from the dam upstream. In total, about a three hour tour. Highly recommended!read more

Jessica Schmidt

21:18 27 May 20

We were late and missed our rafting time, but they had room on the next tour. We were definitely happy for that. It was... a fun activity for our vacation, will do again if in the area! Our guide, Mika, was very friendly and professional.read more

Blake Stover

18:57 24 May 20

Great experience! Thanks to our tour guide Mike our group had a blast. The river was beautiful and the rapids are great... for beginners who have never been white water rafting before. Would highly recommend to do, and shout out to Big Mike !read more

Ryan Melkerson

19:47 22 May 20

Very highly recommend SMO for anyone wanting to raft through the smokies! This was our first time ever rafting. We had... so much fun! Entire trip lasted around 2 hours. Fantastic views throughout the trip. Our guides were awesome and fun to raft with!read more

CTS STEALTHY

22:07 21 May 20

It was a great first time experience for our family. Our guide Matt, was extremely professional. Our raft capsized... during one of the class 4 rapids (!!), and Matt as well as the other tour guides all worked together calmly and quickly to get us together. It was his first time in that situation but he was trained and quick. Although it is very unlikely, it can happen! The river is real and relentless, just as the mountains. But as long as everyone works together, even during something like that, it can be an enthralling experience. Especially with such professionalism and expertise from the guides. Kid friendly. Safe. And will make a great memory.read more

Bryan Grace

00:17 01 Jan 20

Our trip was in August we had a Great experience and Tyler our Guide was Great.. Cant wait to go again!

Heather Carmichael

17:01 08 Nov 19

Great family fun! Adventure through the mountains and down the Pigeon River with professional guides. It's a blast!

Bryce Jaggers

21:02 25 Aug 19

Went on my first rafting trip here and it was absolutely incredible. We saw a Whitetail deer walking along the bank not... 50' from us, a BALD EAGLE soar right over our heads, and had an incredible guide in Abe who not only kept incredible conversation with his humor & knowledge of the area - but also took care of the 4 of us when we fell in after a particularly tricky rapid. I could not have imagined a more perfect trip, and cannot recommend it highly enough!read more

Michele Kane

20:38 25 Aug 19

What a fun experience! My husband and I went white water rafting with Smoky Mountain Outdoors and had a blast! The... instructor that we had was so much fun and experienced and you can tell just how much he loved what he does. There are many different rafting companies in this area but I would 100% recommend using this company for your rafting experience.read more

William Hoffmann

01:07 18 Aug 19

We had an amazing time with our guide Maddie. 3/4 of our group were newbies, but her instructions were clear, and we... all had a great time and a successful run down the Pigeon River. We'll definitely be back!read more

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21:12 17 Aug 19

Our guide Makenzie made it fun for two young boys, two women, a teen girl and a grown man. No small feat. We laughed. A... lot. She taught us about history on river and asked us about us. Price was good, they ran smooth operation!read more

Evan Grady

13:24 31 Jul 19

Fun, Fun, Fun! Did I say Fun? From Maggie Valley area you will drive less than 45 minutes to this destination just off... I-40 in Tennessee. They offer multiple craft times including a 1630hrs (4:30pm) time that will save you some hillbilly dough! Lots of parking, decent bath house/changing rooms and of course a gift shop. Skip the overpriced photos that they offer. Do enjoy your trip and have a blast. Enjoy!read more

Kelli Rilley

13:04 24 Jul 19

We did the lower level course as an introductory step for our 4 kids. Our guide Judo was amazing and patient with our... family of 6. What a great overall experience. It was a fantastic way to work as a family and how the staff encourages that is amazing. Our kids are already wanting to do this again, which in my mind is far worth more than 5 stars!read more

Dave O'Connor

21:18 17 Jul 19

This whitewater rafting trip was the highlight of our family vacation. Top notch organization. Our guide, TJ was... terrific. Can't wait to do it againread more

Kaila Knies

04:04 11 Jul 19

Really great! It was our first white water rafting experience and it was a lot of fun! Our guide Jason was amazing and... super knowledgeable about the river, surrounding area, and rafting. He also have us some great tips for dinner and hiking spots. This was definitely the highlight of our trip. 10/10 would recommend.read more

Dawn Carter

13:20 16 Jun 19

Our guide John was warm, engaging and funny and made sure we had a safe and great time! Very efficiently run operation... from start to finish. I like that there are various trip options as well depending on ability and age. Will definitely be returning!read more

Brad Crall

21:48 12 Jun 19

The upper river tour was great and Brie was a great guide. I would recommend Smokey Mountain Outdoors. They were all... pros and the guides really loved their work.read more

Snufalufag Gaming

19:29 11 Jun 19

Absolutely fantastic experience here. Our guide Jean Paul was extremely experienced, funny, nice, and inclusive. Really... made the experience for the 7 of us on the raft. The river is perfect for rafting newcomers, and is quite easy for experienced rafters. Would definitely recommend Smoky Mountain Outdoor to anyone looking for a rafting trip while they are here.read more

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Yelp

White Water Rafting With Smoky Mountain Outdoors

4.5

Based on 145 Reviews

Nancy C.

2020-09-24 12:48:02

AMAZING!!! Highlight of our trip. If you can get MATT as your instructor, you will not be disappointed. We were literally the only raft doing donuts left... read more

Cipriano M.

2020-09-22 14:44:13

I was eager to conquer my first white water rafting experience a few weeks ago. I always wanted to experience this sport first-hand but was scared. This... read more

Rachel H.

2020-09-03 12:35:49

My husband and I rafted with this company and it was wonderful! Our guide DJ was incredible! He was so fun and engaging and made the trip so interesting! He... read more

Brooke D.

2020-08-29 14:32:01

We did the "extreme upper river rafting" trip and it was awesome! We did the registration and waivers all online prior to our trip. When we got there, It... read more

Katie S.

2020-08-14 10:40:27

We, a party of 6, booked ahead of time for a total of $240. During our time slot, the weather was thundering, lightning, and raining HARD. So, of course we... read more

Adam H.

2020-08-02 08:21:26

This was a great find for our honeymoon! The guide made it fun and we really enjoyed our time on the river. Our guide was Brie and she was fantastic!... read more

Eli W.

2020-07-25 12:24:33

Great experience, me and my family hadn't done white water rafting in years and had a great time. Had a great guide that kept the ride fun and interesting.... read more

Todd D.

2020-07-16 10:38:28

Outstanding organization over coming the covid challenges. Really enjoyable trip down the river. Great experience. read more

Kelly H.

2020-07-10 18:48:54

My 14 yr old son and I had an awesome and adventurous time on this trip!! It's nature so not much control which made it a great experience. Courtney was an... read more

Dan D.

2020-07-07 06:31:34

Awesome trip. Our guide was great lots of positive fun energy from all the leaders. Very professional setup of the office/store. All the equipment is... read more

Joe K.

2020-06-25 18:33:11

My wife booked this for us as a surprise since I had never been white water rafting. From the guys that greeted us at parking, to the cashiers in the gift... read more

Ashleigh H.

2020-06-15 06:14:39

My family and I went white water rafting with Logan as our guide this past Saturday and let me tell you, it was a BLAST. Not only was the water and the view... read more

Emily V.

2020-06-14 08:37:51

I went with a group of 5 people white water rafting at this place and it was amazing! People were very friendly and our guide JB was the best! We were... read more

Christian H.

2020-05-24 15:02:12

The rafting was extremely fun because the water was up on the river. Courtney was our guide down the river and she did a fantastic job! Me and my wife would... read more

Joseph Carlo V.

2019-09-02 09:16:04

I highly recommend this company as multiple companies use the same river to raft in Hartford, TN. You get more with your money as the route is longest with... read more

Shawn N.

2019-08-17 20:13:40

My first time and what a great experience! Rachel was our guide and she was personable and full of energy! I did the upper track, there were some good,... read more

Kendra B.

2019-04-12 13:20:00

Great guide and easy to book! My husband and I went on an anniversary trip to the smoky mountains and decided to try out whitewater rafting doing the upper... read more

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Smoky Mountain Outdoors

White water rafting near Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and the Smoky Mountains.

Reserve Now by calling us at 1-800-771-7238.

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3299 Hartford Road
Hartford, TN 37753

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