Overview
Available languages
2 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
A cornerstone of Smokies vacations, the Pigeon is the closest whitewater rafting tour to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Additional Info
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
What To Expect
The Pigeon River is the closest and most popular whitewater adventure for travelers staying in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN. Splashing wave trains and bouncy hydraulics make this a fun trip for both first-time and experienced rafters. The trip provides nearly-continuous Class II-IV rapids like Lost Guide and Accelerator with beautiful views into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. NOC provides all the necessary gear and equipment.
Options
Upper Pigeon River Whitewater Rafting
What‘s Included
NOC provides all the necessary river gear and equipment.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
31 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Do it! You won’t regret it!
Chelsea K,Jun 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Definitely a fun experience for both adults and kids. The guides make it fun and are knowledgeable about the area. Great breathtaking views. Highly recommend!! Our favorite thing we did while we were there. Show up 30 Mins early to fill out waivers and wear shoes with backs on them or you will have to purchase some.
Excellent Experience
U2450LXcoreys,Jun 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I went down the river in mid-May, and we had a great experience with NOC (Upper Pigeon River). On our first day, because I am a bit spacey, I somehow ended up in the middle of the mountains with no gas station nearby and on Empty. Thankfully, I noticed it when we were very close to a rest area, so we did not end up stranded on the side of the road. Triple A came out, and all was well, but we missed our original rafting time. When we called NOC Upper Pigeon, they allowed us to reschedule for the next day without any fee or hassle. I was very grateful for that because it would have been awful to have to pay again just because we missed it. The check-in process was very smooth. Everything was clearly explained; the instructions were easy to follow, the bus ride was short, and the bus was clean. "@b****nee" was our guide, and she was really great at her job. You could tell she genuinely enjoyed it, and she shared a lot of interesting information about the river. One of the best parts was that she tried to get a sense of whether we wanted a more adventurous ride or something a little calmer. Being able to tailor the experience a bit to what we wanted made it even better. At one of the rapids, I ended up falling out of the raft (it happens), and "@b****nee" basically turned into Hercules and helped me get back in easily. I am not someone who is very easy to please, but @b****nee was excellent. You can tell she enjoys what she does, and she was also very hospitable, professional, and reassuring throughout the trip. Overall, it was a great experience. Tipping is optional, of course, but after the trip I definitely felt our guide deserved one. After we left, I attempted to give my friend who was with us her Venmo information so he could tip her as well, but he could not find her on the app. If the business reads this, I hope they can confirm with her that she received one from me on 5/21 (the late trip) ??!!
Great Experience
kaylapL2256TP,Aug 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The trip was great we had a great guide named Paul. I actually fell in and he jumped into action so fast one of the best experiences I've ever experienced honestly. I would definitely recommend and do this again at this beautiful location... beautiful site. Welcoming and joyful guides. Over all 10/10. Tips: always listen to your guide and make sure safety gear is on properly and have fun but most importantly be aware.
Fantastic Day on the Pigeon River!
KLHornfeck,Jun 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing experience! Terrific guides made the experience really fun! Beautiful scenery and challenging rapids make it an unforgettable experience. Ask for Elisabeth as your guide!
Sarah is a top notch guide
COLadyRoadWarrior,Aug 26, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We enjoyed our time on the Upper Pigeon with guide Sarah, who was also the lead guide / trip coordinator / narrator. She had a giddy for what she does for a living. The Upper Pigeon is short but sweet. NOC guides ensure you when fun and stay safe.
Rafting with Teens
Sarah S,Aug 18, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband, my kids (11 and 15), and I went white water rafting for the first time with NOC on the Upper Pigeon River. We loved it. Our guide, Sarah, was fun, personable, and professional. The company is focused on safety and we all felt comfortable. The rapids were better than I expected and we would definitely take this trip again!
"Great Rafting Trip, Guides and Outfiter"
2thdoc33133,Aug 9, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We've been whitewater rafting in many places across the USA, including the Nantahala with this same NOC outfitter. Hartford is a "blink and you'll miss it" tiny town, but you'd never think that, if you saw the NOC facilities there. We were impressed with the large spread, check-in area with table to fill out paperwork and store, as well as the bath house for after rafting showering and change of clothes. They have a small theater where they review all the essentials, take all questions and even show a short tutorial video. Their guides are all very energetic, knowledgeable and clearly love their jobs. Mark was our guide and he was terrific. The equipment is all top notch and they go all out to accommodate their clients. The runs we did were fun, but there were many challenging ones. That said, kids and novices can still safely take this trip. We've used NOC twice before in 1997 and 1999, and this third time was just as good. I highly recommend this excursion and NOC.
Great Experience!
Rosanne B,Aug 8, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Kaitlyn was a wonderful guide—great conversation and excellent at navigating the rapids. Overall, the trip was really fun... I wish it were a little bit longer... It took about 1 hour in total. A half-hour more would have been perfect. Very well-run and professional company. I highly recommend it.
Excellent trip for kids and timid rafters. Absolutely AWESOME guides
Jeremy N,Jul 29, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We went on this trip as a first time trip for our 9&10 year olds and a friend who had never rafted. We have rafted plenty in Colorado so comparatively I think their rating system has lower standards their level 4s were not scary at all. But……. We had a blast, look at the pics and see our kids faces. They were able to raft and I was not scared they would fall out, like I was before the trip. 1. Location - beautiful. About 55 min easy drive from pigeon forge. 2. Facilities- just fine. The bathroom changing center was very large with a lot of parking. They organized the flow of traffic and rafters very well. Guides: the main guide Anna was sooo funny, knowledgeable and clearly a good leader. She and her team were in sync and that made their many jokes land well. Our guide Taylor from Tampa FL was so funny and attended to us very well. She knew we wanted the rapids and didn’t skip a single one. She made sure to try to get each of us on the boat equally wet ( although the front seats definitely got the most). LOVED THIS TRIP! I can’t say enough at how safe I felt my children were which would be the main reason I would t raft. Thank you to the wonderful guides for our awesome experience
Great adventure!
Passport17574450832,Jul 17, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing experience! Two seniors and two teenage gradsons enjoyed Upper Pigeon River witewater rafting with this company. Highly recommended! Will do it again. Well organized. Our guide, Chelsea, was amazing. We felt abosulutely safe. We lerned a lot. Kids want to go back asap
Related Experiences
Operated by Nantahala Outdoor Center