Help planning a Newbie friendly trip.

[Codom]

Hi everyone.

I apologize if this isn't the correct place for this request.

I am from south Louisiana and have been tasked by my friends and coworkers to arrange a rafting trip for the end of July. No one in our group has much to any experience with rafting. I've done some tubing, but that is about it.

We were looking at going to TN, where we could have the whole experience packaged for us w/guide, but that is a 10+ hour drive and we are looking to make this a weekend trip. We've identified the Cossatot river as a possibility as it is only about a 6.5 hour drive. We are a little worried that the Cossatot is going to be too difficult for our skill level.

We don't own any gear. We would like to find a place camp on Friday, rent our gear, raft, and camp Saturday, and pack out on Sunday.

I would love some suggestions and help from you guys and gals.

Thank you all in advance.

Christian

[sig]

Your better bet is to head to the Ocoee River in eastern TN.

Late July means Arkansas streams (probably) won't have water. Add to it no one rents rafts (or anything besides camp sites) on the Cossatot.

Head to the Ocoee, have a good time with a guide on some great whitewater, and tip well.

For "Day 2" you could rent tubes (or rafts?) on the nearby Hiwasse River.

[Twindad]

You didn't actually mention whitewater. I assume you DO want rapids. Another option is the Pigeon River east of Knoxville. It has two sections, an upper Class 3, and a lower Class 2. It runs on Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Saturday. The Pigeon is much less busy than the Ocoee. The nearby Cosby Campground in Great Smoky Mtn Natl Park is uncrowded and beautiful. See Dave at Rapid Expeditions for rafting and kayak instruction.

[James]

I would go with the Pigeon. A group of us went and it was exciting and still felt safe. We even had a guy on our boat that couldn't swim. http://raftoutdooradventures.com/?gclid ... vAodcQMAew" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lupe]

For that matter, you could also consider the Nantahala (1 hr further than the Ocoee). For the Ocoee, it's bigger whitewater and you would have a guide in the raft with you. At the Nantahala, you can go with a guide or one guide in the group of rafts (but not in every raft) or you can go just on your own.

All will be a big drive, but alas, that's what you need to do to get the experience you are looking for!

[Codom]

Thanks everyone for the input. Please feel free to keep the suggestions coming. It appears that we have chosen a bad time of year for Arkansas.

It looks like I will move my focus to the east. Someone else had mentioned Spring River as a possibility. It may be a pretty good place for us to start getting our feet wet. I am working with a diverse group of wants and demands for this trip so it is good to have options from relaxing cruise to heart pounding fun.

Again thank you all for your help so far.

[Crane]

The Spring River is a good choice for newbies to get their feet wet... There are a number of outfitters who rent rafts and recreational kayaks. There are also cabins for rent and camping facilities available. We use Riverside Campground as the staging point for our Recreational Clinic every year and they run a quiet, mature campground (cabins, too.) Other places to stay may allow more frisky behaviors... But, the Spring is a great river for beginners and would set them up for a trip east at some point!!

[lalyle]

I'm taking some newbie friends to the Spring River in the coming days. It's ideal for teaching very basic skills in class one and one-plus swiftwater.

I agree with Crane that Riverside is your best bet for clean bathrooms, nights free of whooping drunkards, clean facilities, etc.

Avoid weekends and especially holidays to avoid overcrowding on the river and the obnoxious and lewd behavior it's become known for. There are lots of kayak/canoe rentals. Rafts hang up too much on the many ledges that are characteristic of the Spring River and make it fun for small craft.

If you want a whitewater rollercoaster, whoop-it-up, get-splashed experience, then head on over to the Ocoee, Pigeon, or Nantahala.