River Classification

Eastern Rivers only:

You will find this list to be a little different from what you normally see; I always hated seeing a rapid rated plus (plus), minus (minus) III++ (IV---) ??? What the h**l does that mean anyway. I like comparing rapids to other rapids and by running as many different rapids as you can. It will make you more well- rounded boater, and prepare you to tackle your nemesis that you have wanted to run. You may find your favorite rapid rated a little higher or a little lower than what you thought, what does that mean? Just means that rapid is more your style of paddling that’s all. This list is to be used as a baseline, a concept difficult for some to grasp.

The list was complied from a strong resume of Creek boaters with over 10 years experience or at the very minimum over 100 different river runs and/or sections. Then complied into an EXCEL spreadsheet to get an average, then finally this list was peer reviewed and compared. It is rated by Class, and also using a scale of 1-10.Notice no plus or minus signs are used here to add to confusion. The rapids listed, reflect rapids, which stand out on their own, and have their own personality, and is not to reflect every rapid in the AR, GA, TN, NC, AL area. It is subjective of course, but with that in mind this can be used as a good measuring stick when looking at paddling a new run, and/or to give you a base to compare when planning your trip. Please bear in mind that any river/rapid is constantly changing and is a moving target. You are in control of your own destiny and know your own limits, no one else does, and no one can help you if an emergency arises, when help does come; it is to bring the body out. Paddling is a VERY DANGEROUS sport; you cannot gain skills, without experience. If you are a beginner, or someone with less than 100 different runs under their belt, I strongly urge you to use this list as a stepping stone and/or shopping list, and to continue to build your paddling skills. Take your time, if you want to speed things up take a paddling and rescue course, then use this as a shopping/stepping stone list. Caskets do not make good river crafts; please take this as a warning.

Please feel free to use this list and to share with other fellow paddlers. If you post this to another website or publish an article using this list please contact me first at kayakwesty@yahoo.com No big deal just want to know; that’s all, and this will be updated periodically. Rapids and times change and so will this list; God willing.

One note: Before using this list please memorize the A.W. International Rating of Rapids, and if you are not a member of American Whitewater. Well shame on you, for being a freeloading bum, you probably poach shuttles too. Instead buying that 12 pack of swill, this weekend, how bout mailing them a check instead. It’s cheaper than a tank of gas. When you lose your favorite run, don’t bit*h.

I’m going to repeat this part again; this list is to be used as a baseline, a concept difficult for some to grasp.

Class II.0

Surfing Rapid , Illinois Bayou, Hector Arkansas

100 Yard Dash, Sipsey Fork, Alabama 2.0 ft

Class II.3

Devil’s Shoals, Hiwassee River, Reliance Tennessee

Take-out Rapid, Illinois Bayou, Hector Arkansas

B.F.R. (Mother) Piney Creek, Arkansas, Russellville, Arkansas

House Rock Rapid, Locust Fork, Cleveland, AL.

Gonzo Shoals, Ocoee River, 1200 cfs

Class II.4

Double Trouble, Locust Fork, Cleveland Alabama (2.4 ft or lower)

Patton’s Run, Nantahala River, Topton NC

White’s Creek (Normal Level) Rockwood, Tennessee

Class II.5

Double Trouble, Locust Fork, Cleveland Alabama (2.5 ft or higher)

Powell Falls, Locust Fork, Cleveland AL 2.45 ft or less

Nantahala Falls, Topton, North Carolina.

Class II.6

Powell Falls, Locust Fork, Cleveland AL.3.50 ft or greater

Class II.8

Slide Falls, Piney River, Spring City, TN. (Low-Medium Water)

Class III.0

Shoulder Bone, Chattooga Section IV, Georgia 2.0 ft or greater

White’s Creek (Flood) Rockwood, Tennessee

Grave’s Creek Falls, Graves Creek, Cleveland Alabama

Class III.1

Whale Tail, Conasauga River, Georgia

Diamond Splitter, Ocoee River, Ducktown, Tennessee 1200 cfs

Class III.2

Top Ledge, Tellico River, Tellico Plains, Tennessee

Cascades, Duskin Creek, Spring City, Tennessee

Hungry Jack, Piney River, Spring City TN (High Water)

Class III.3

Frank’s Bell Rapid, French Broad, North Carolina

The Narrows, Big Laurel Creek, North Carolina

Bottle Neck, Little River Canyon, Alabama

The Gorge Rapids (Normal Water), Rock Creek, Bakewell Tennessee

Class III.4

Short Creek Falls, Short Creek, Alabama

Signal Falls, Piney River, Spring City, TN 2.6 FT

Frozen Rope, Socaptoy River, Alabama 1000 C.F.S or less

Richland Falls, Richland Creek, Arkansas

Class III.5

Table Saw Ocoee River, Tennessee 1450 or greater c.f.s.

Baby Falls, (incl. Meat Grinder) Tellico River, Tennessee, 2.5 or less ft

Ninety-right, Upper Obed, Crossville, TN

Sinks, (River Right) Little River, Smokies, Tennessee

Lower Screw Up, Richland Creek, Arkansas

Class III.6

Frozen Rope, Socaptoy River, Alabama 1500 or greater c.f.s

Put-in Falls, Johnnies Creek, Alabama (6” or above)

Compound Fracture, Island Creek, Tennessee, Obed System ( Normal Level)

Town Creek (Middle Section, below the park, High Water) Town Creek Alabama

Class III.7

Razorback, Wilson Creek, North Carolina

Compound Fracture, Island Creek, Obed System, Tennessee, High Water

Roadblock, Little River Canyon, Alabama

Class III.8

Jawbone Rapid, Chattooga Section IV, Georgia 1.8 ft or greater

Fang Rapid, (Medium Level)Daddy’s Creek, Tennessee, Obed System

Seven Foot Falls Chattooga Section IV, Georgia 1.8ft or greater

Sinks, (River Left) Little River, Smokies, Tennessee

Class III.9

Humongous Rapid, Ocoee River, Ducktown, Tennessee

Fang Rapid, (High Level) Daddy’s Creek, Tennessee, Obed System

Class III.10

Sweet’s Falls, Gauley River, West Virginia

Slanted Crack, Chauga River, Georgia

Crunch-n-Munch, Roaring Creek, Graysville, Tennessee

Class IV.0

Baby Falls, (incl Meat Grinder) Tellico River, Tennessee, 3.6 ft or greater

Corkscrew Rapid, Chattooga Section IV, Georgia 1.75 ft or greater

Put-in Falls, Town Creek, Alabama

Pigs in Space, Citico River, Tennessee (High Water)

Jerod’s Knee, Tellico River Tellico River, Tennessee, 2.7 ft or above

Pillow Rock, Gauley River, West Virginia

Keney Brothers Rapid, New River, West Virginia

Class IV.1

Washing Machine, Cossatot River, Mena Arkansas, (High)

Middle Ocoee River, Ducktown, Tennessee, 10,000 plus C.F.S.

Insignificant Rapid, Gauley River, West Virginia

Class IV.2

Cheoa River, ( Low) North Carolina

Gorge Section, Rock Creek, Bakewell Tennessee, High Water

Class IV.3

Last Rapid (Zero Inches) Richland Creek, Dayton Tennessee

Cascades Nantahala, (Low Water), Topton, North Carolina

Class IV.4

Cheoa River, (High) North Carolina

Hallway Rapid, Santeelah River, North Carolina (Low Water)

Worser Wesser, Nantahala River, North Carolina (IV.4 if you mess up, you got to move out-of-state)

Class IV.5

Bedtime for Lothar, Cooper Creek Soddy-Daisy Tennessee

Lower Potter’s Falls, Crooked Fork, and Tennessee

Hallway Rapid, Santeelah River, North Carolina (High Water)

Class IV.6

Pole Cat, Roaring Creek, Graysville, Tennessee

Cascades (Top to Bottom) Coker Creek, Turtletown, Tennessee (High Water)

Hour Glass, Turtletown Creek, Turtletown, Tennessee

Confluence Rapid, Scarham Creek, Alabama (High Water)

Class IV.7

Iron Ring, Gauley River, West Virginia

Hammer Time, (6” or above) Richland Creek, Dayton Tennessee

Cascades Nantahala , (High Water), Topton, North Carolina

Class IV.8

North Chick Falls, North Chickamauga Creek, Chattanooga, Tennessee (Med-High Level)

Sock-em-Dog, Chattooga Section IV, Georgia 2.3 ft or greater

Lamance Falls, Crooked Fork, Tennessee

Boss, Boss Hollow Creek Arkansas (High Water)

Vertigo, Brush Creek, Graysville, Tennessee

Top Falls, Turtletown Creek, Turtletown, Tennessee

Buying the Farm, Bald River, Tellico Plains, Tennessee.

Class IV.9

Stinging Fork Falls, Stinging Fork Spring City, TN

Singley’s Falls, Overflow Creek, Georgia

Pinball Rapid, Little River Canyon, Alabama 4” or above

Imodium Falls, Little Possum Creek, Bakewell, Tennessee

Cumnock Falls, McGill Creek, Graysville, Tennessee (Med-High Level)

Gorilla Constrictor, Johnnies Creek, Alabama 3” or below

Blockage, Town Creek, Town Creek Alabama

Fish Bowl, Bear Creek, Georgia

Class V.0

Suislide Falls, (Top to Bottom) Bald River Tennessee

Gorilla Constrictor, Johnnies Creek, Alabama 4” or above

Whale Tail, Lower Cullasaja, Highlands North Carolina

Marginal Monster, Overflow Creek, Georgia

Stairway to Heaven, Bear Creek, Georgia

Jones Creek Falls (Put-in) Alabama

Sunshine (200%) Narrows of the Green, Henderson NC.

Little River Canyon Falls, near Fort Payne AL.

Gorilla (100%) Narrows of the Green, Henderson NC.

Casey Jones, Jones Creek, Alabama

Class V.1

Vortex Rapid, Cain Creek, Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee

Eclipse, Lower Cullasaja, Highlands N.C.

Paraplegic Falls, Miller Creek, Flat Rock Alabama

Cow Sh*t Falls Wolf Creek, Alabama

Gorilla (200%) Narrows of the Green, Henderson NC.

Sunshine (100%) Narrows of the Green, Henderson NC.

Chili Pepper, Morgan Creek, Dayton, Tennessee

Class V.2

When in Doubt, Miller Creek, Flat Rock, Alabama

Crux, Deep Creek, Soddy-Daisy Tennessee

Double Drop, Little Possum, Bakewell, Tennessee

Class V.3

Asleep at the Wheel, Allen Creek, Pigeon Mountain, Georgia.

Coming Home Sweet Jesus, Lower Meadow, West Virginia

Holy Sh*t Rocky Broad, Georgia, Trib. to Overflow Creek

Fuzzy Bunny, Roaring Creek, Graysville Tennessee

Class V.4

Factory Falls, Bear Creek (West) Bear Creek Alabama

Class V.5

Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs, Miller Creek, Flat Rock Alabama

Class V.6

Bald River Falls , Top to Bottom, Tellico River Trib., Tellico Plains, Tennessee

Class V.7

Cutting edge; COULD be considered Class VI, but a line can be seen.

Class V.8

Cutting edge; COULD be considered Class VI, but a line can be seen.

Class V.9

Cutting edge; COULD be considered Class VI, but a line can be seen.

Class V.10

Cutting edge; COULD be considered Class VI, but a line can be seen.

Class VI

Unrunnable, or at least the present gear -boating skills limit the descent at the moment.

Classification Rapid Rating System; CRRS (Ser’ios) Notes:

Here are some e-mails and notes from the peer review, not all are on here, just some that were either relevant or help shed light on the thought process; when using this system or for that matter when running a river. Remember my comment on using this a baseline, I want this system to make people think, and how to judge and/or when describing a rapid to someone. So here ya go…….

From Tracy Clapp:

“Relative difficulty vs. danger is extremely difficult to gauge.

Much of the game is head and body synchronicity that you have in the moment but sometimes don't. You have to be in touch with where you are in that relationship.

The difficulty shifts within depending on mad skills, emotion, physical condition [proper awareness of], familiarity w/ river, and water level.

Sometimes something not so hard will touch on one of these conditions and the difficulty changes for that time and moment. It becomes subjective no matter how hard you look at it. You have to know where you are to really safely gauge how you fit in”.

From Milt Aitken:

“The real difference between class 4 & 5 is not difficulty, it's danger. (and I have to keep reminding myself of this also) For instance, Singley's Falls (easy like falling off a rock) has only a little danger due to the undercut on the right at the bottom. But LRC Pinball is a multi move rapid with a hole and sieves and an undercut and some runout. While Gorilla Constrictor is mutimove with a sieve”.