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Thousands of rafters head down the Pigeon River from Waterville to Hartford every year. Tourism is the state’s second largest industry and Hartford is one of the crown jewels of Cocke County’s tourism offerings. Whitewater Rafting

Attracts Thousands To Cocke County

Tucked away in the mountains of Cocke County, Hartford sits along I-40 East at exit 447, serving as the next to last exit before the North Carolina state line. This small town is home to numerous whitewater rafting companies, gas stations, a post office, and unique restaurants. Settled along the Pigeon River, Hartford is a quiet town filled with outdoor enthusi- asts and curious tourists. For one who wants to be away from the hustle and bustle of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, yet still with- in reasonable driving distance, Fox Fire Campground and Shauan’s RV Park provide riverside campsites. The Downtown Hartford Citgo and the BP serve as the only gas stations along I-40 between Newport and Maggie Valley, NC. The Pigeon River Smokehouse, located at the BP, serves up the best-known BBQ in the area. Across the street sits The Bean Trees Café — a unique din- ing experience with riverside dining and live music Photos Submitted on Friday and Saturday nights. The Bean Trees fea- tures a vegetarian and kid friendly menu and serves specialty coffee drinks, beer, and wine. Each whitewater rafting company utilizes the public put-in, located at I-40 East, exit 451-Waterville. This access point is used for the upper Pigeon River trip, which consists of 12 class III rapids and three class IV rapids. Rapids in the Southeast are rated on a class scale of I to VI, with I being slow moving flat water and VI being deemed experts only or closed for commercial and recreational use. The public put-in lies on the North Carolina state line in Haywood County. Each rafting company uses a different put-in, most are located on the company’s property, for the lower Pigeon River trip, consisting of class I and II rapids with a mild class III at the end of the trip before taking out at the public take-out in Denton. Continue to page 5

From page 4 The whitewater rafting companies are located along Hartford Road. Each trip will vary in length depend- ing on which company you choose. For the majority, the upper trip is at least five miles long, and the low- er trip is approximately six miles long. For the more adventurous person or someone look- ing for a thrilling ride that guarantees you’ll be getting wet, the upper Pigeon River trip is perfect. Children are welcome to join the excitement as long as they follow the general rules of being at least eight-years-old or weighing 70-pounds (this is for a child who may be younger than eight but is still “big” enough to with stand the physical aspects of the trip). A trained, CPR-certified raft guide will journey with you through rapids such as Power House, Full-ofWater, Veg-O-matic, Snap Dragon, The Lost Guide, Double Reactionary, and The Accelerator. The upper Pigeon River provides scenery and photo opportu- nities when you are not concentrating on the white water. For families with smaller children or those looking for a calmer ride, the lower Pigeon River awaits. Con- sisting mostly of class I and II rapids, the lower allows children as young as three to enjoy the rafting expe- rience. Be sure to bring a waterproof camera to cap- ture memories, as this trip is more scenic, winding around the mountains and following Hartford Road downstream to Denton. Large areas of slow moving flat water provide a way to cool-off on a hot, sum- mer day. Even if you are unable to swim, each guest is provided a PFD-personal floatation device-and a raft guide will accompany you for the duration of the trip. Figures released by the Cocke County Clerk’s office show a total of 225,651 rafters paid to enjoy the local streams in 2019, which brought in a total of $375,567 to the county coffers. Added to that is $5,500 in per- mit fees paid by the eleven licensed rafting compa- nies. The $375,568 figure is up nearly $5,000 from the $370,752 paid by 222,535 rafters in 2018. However, it still falls below the all-time high $405,742 figure from 2016 and the $391,960 in 2015. Cocke County has benefited tremendously from the rafting industry, which welcomes visitors from around the world to the white waters of the Pigeon River. In 1995, the first full year of the rafting indus- try, 551 paid customers and a total of 21,154 total rafters added $35,674 to the local budget, along with $3,000 in permit fees. From 1995 until 2019, nearly every year has seen a significant increase in the number of visitors and the money derived from the business.

Companies are currently following all CDC guide- lines while still taking trips down the river. The tem- peratures of employees and guests are taken when entering the business. Equipment is being sterilized before and after each trip. For more information regarding whitewater rafting prices and trips on the Pigeon River, please contact the following companies in Hartford: Big Bear Raft- ing, 5 Rivers Adventures, Big Creek Expeditions, Nan- tahala Outdoor Center, Outdoor Rafting Adventures, Rafting in the Smokies, Rapid Expeditions, Rip Roar- ing Adventures, Smoky Mountain Outdoors, USA Raft and Wildwater Rafting.

Figures released by the Cocke County Clerk’s office show a total of 225,651 rafters paid to enjoy the local streams in 2019, which brought in a total of $375,567 to the county coffers.

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