Scenic Floats on the Pigeon River with Big Creek Expeditions
- 1h 30m
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
As the Pigeon River comes out of the steeper parts of the gorge it calms down a bit. Beginning at our outpost, the Lower Section of the Pigeon River is perfect for those looking for a scenic float trip of the Smoky Mountains. Ages 3 and up. Experience is not required, and each raft will have one of our professional guides.
Inclusions
What's included
- Necessary equipment, including a PFD (aka life jacket), helmet and paddle.
What's not
- Lunch
Itinerary
If you have a thirst for adventure and have dreamed of paddling down a river with your friends, family or group through the Smoky Mountains, this is the trip for you. Experience the Great Smoky Mountains in a whole new way, with panoramic views of ancient mountains, thrilling rapids that will leave you soaking wet, and an immersive experience that will keep you smiling from ear to ear.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.8
- 568
- 41
- 31
- 20
- 12
Ratings come from 72 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
5Great Family Rafting Experience!
Our family had an amazing time rafting with Big Creek Expeditions! Their communications was clear and the check in process was smooth and effortless. Our guide, Sam, was incredible - very knowledgeable about the river and the history of the area, he's funny, and kept us feeling completely safe. I would highly recommend this rafting company!
5Great for beginners!
We did the lower river with Reagan as our guide and she was great with our group! She kept the smaller kids engaged and everyone had a great time.
5Family fun memories
This was a family vacation of 10 including 4 children ages 4-7. We found the process from beginning to end thorough and professional. I received emails from them at beginning of the booking to the day we showed up. We were given directions to the place and then briefed on safety and protocols. We were led to our rafts and since we had 10 people, we were split 5 and 5. Our guides kept us close in proximity and had some playful antics back and forth in the water. The kids were give water tubes and they could fill from the river and squirt the passengers of the rats. They loved every second and wanted more! The guides were very interactive with the passengers giving some background information, history and funny stories asking the way. At the end of trip there were photos offered, which for us was a lifetime memory! The gift shop was also very nice and not very expensive. The men in our party all bought different shirts and commented that the quality for the price was impressive. I highly recommend this company!
5Best introduction to rafting anyone could ask for!!
This float trip was amazing. No one in my group, which included a 7 & 9 year old, had ever gone on a float trip before. The lower Pigeon was the perfect introduction to floating. Our guide was great - Thank you Josh! The views were amazing. The river was mostly natural, with trees along the banks instead of houses and boat docks. Josh turned our boat toward the mountains and told us about them, where the water comes from, ect. He was very knowledgeable. The trip was 6 miles long. The facilities were very nice. Far exceeded my expectations. They didnt put any strangers in our boat with us, which made it feel personal, even though there were several other groups going with us. We never felt crowded. I didnt even realize they were probably sold out until the end of the trip when we loaded up in the bus to return to the outpost and i saw that we filled it up completely! Definitely worth the price we paid - under $200 fot the whole family! The photo we got from this float trip is the centerpiece of our smoky mountain vacation picture frame. We will be back to float the upper!!
5Mountain adventure
This was so much fun. I had it on my bucket list for a long time. My husband and I were a little scared but I wanted to do something adventurous for my son. We all had the best time and the scenery was beautiful. There were some rapids that had us flying out of our seat but our feet were well hooked in as they instructed us to do. I would definitely do it again. Our guide, Iona was fantastic.
5An amazing time!
Our group of 10 had an amazing time! Our guide Joey was so friendly, so knowledgeable and such a kind, patient guide. We did the lower float and we all said that we'd love to go back one day and do the upper tour. Definitely an experience we'll all remember.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- We are located near Downtown Hartford, TN
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 100 travellers
- Operated by
- Big Creek Expeditions
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Minimum age: 3 years old
- Guests will then meet their personal guide and recieve the necessary equipment,
- Including a PFD (aka life jacket), helmet and paddle.
- After your guide double-checks to make sure all equipment is fitted properly, guests then hop on our bus for a short 10-minute ride to the launching point for your trip.
- All guest must have secured shoes on, NO FLIP FLOPS / NO BARE FEET
How it compares in Hartford
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 7 experiences we list in Hartford.
- By number of reviews it ranks 5 of 7.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Hartford
Hartford is a small community on the Pigeon River in Cocke County, Tennessee, near the north-eastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Hartford is a small rural community in the Tennessee foothills of the Appalachians. The Pigeon River runs through it after leaving a steep gorge in the mountains, and it is a river known for its rapids. Farms and wooded ridges fill the valleys, with a few roads and churches.
