Big South Fork Canoeing and Kayaking trips |
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Half day trips
Located in the Big South Fork River and Recreation Area. Trips meet at the take-out access point. These access points are about an hour from our main location.
4.8 MilesBlue Heron to Yamacraw.
Trip takes about 1 to 1.5 hours on-water time. This trip is a morning trip and meets at 9 am. No experience required. Recommended for ages 3 & up at most water levels. This 4.8 mile long section of river is characterized by large boulders and high cliff lines. Rapids alternate with deep pools, providing plenty of places to fish, picnic, swim and explore. This section does have Class I, borderline Class II rapids. Please contact us if you have questions regarding whether this trip is recommended for your specific group.
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7.4 milesYamacraw to Alum Ford.
Trip takes about 2 to 2.5 hours on-water time. This trip is a morning trip and meets at 8 am. Some experience recommended later in the season. No restrictions for early season water levels. Later in the season this trip is recommended for only ages 8 & up. Similar to the Blue Heron to Yamacraw trip, this 7.4 mile long section of river is characterized by large boulders and high cliff lines. However, the shoreline is steeper and there are fewer places to get out and explore. A notable exception is Lick Creek, where you can hike up to Princess Falls. Early in the season, Lake Cumberland covers most or all of this section, so the section is deep flatwater. Later in the season, the lake drops and rapids alternate with deep pools, providing plenty of places to fish, and swim. This section can have several more difficult rapids (borderline Class II) as well as Duck Rock - a Class II rapid, depending on lake level.
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*Cancellation policies for canoeing/kayaking can be found by clicking here.*
All-day trips
11.4 milesAlum Ford to Hwy 927.
Trip takes about 5 to 6 hours on-water time. This trip is a morning trip and meets at 7 am. No experience required. Recommended for all ages. This 11.4 mile trip is deep flatwater for most of the summer. In the Fall and Winter, when Lake Cumberland is close to winter pool, this section can have several miles of current with a few rapids at the beginning before reaching the headwaters of Lake Cumberland. This section is before the river opens out into the lake, however, so the scenery is similar to other areas of the Big South Fork river with high cliff lines and interesting rock formations along the shore.
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12.2 milesBlue Heron to Alum Ford.
Trip takes about 5 to 6 hours on-water time. This trip is a morning trip and meets at 8 am. Some experience recommended later in the season. No restrictions for early season water levels. Later in the season this trip is recommended for only ages 8 & up. This 12.2 mile trip is a combination of 2 half-day trips: Blue Heron to Yamacraw and the Yamacraw to Alum Ford. It is characterized by large boulders and high cliff lines. Early in the season, Lake Cumberland covers most of this section of river, so the section is mostly deep flatwater. Later in the season, as the lake drops, rapids alternate with deep pools, providing plenty of places to fish, explore and swim. When the lake is down, there are several borderline Class II rapids, with one (Duck Rock) that is a Class II rapid.
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*Cancellation policies for canoeing/kayaking can be found by clicking here.*
Multi-day trips
24 Miles
Blue Heron to Hwy 927.
Trip takes about 10-12 hours on-water time. This trip is a morning trip and meets at 7 am. Some experience recommended. Recommended for ages 8 & up at most water levels.
Trip takes about 10-12 hours on-water time. This trip is a morning trip and meets at 7 am. Some experience recommended. Recommended for ages 8 & up at most water levels.
This 24-mile trip combines the sections of Blue Heron to Yamacraw, Yamacraw to Alum Ford and Alum Ford to Hwy 927 for a 2 to 3 day trip. The trip runs through the heart of the Big South Fork National Park. It is characterized by large boulders and high cliff lines. Rapids alternate with deep pools, providing plenty of places to fish, explore and swim. There can be several borderline Class II rapids, with one (Duck Rock) that is a Class II rapid, which shows once the lake level drops later in the season. The latter part of the trip becomes mostly a flatwater section as you paddle into Lake Cumberland. Depending on the lake level, this section can have anywhere from 5-22 miles with no current.
*Cancellation policies for canoeing/kayaking can be found by clicking here.*
Multi-day trips : Class II Experience required
19 milesStation Camp to Blue Heron.
Trip takes about 6 to 7 hours on-water time. This trip is a morning trip and meets at 10 am. Class II experience required. 1 mandatory portage-Devil's Jump. Recommended for ages 12 & up. This 19-mile trip runs through the heart of the Big South Fork National Park. It is extremely remote with a number of Class II rapids. It is appropriate for experienced paddlers. Characterized by huge boulders, high clifflines and numerous islands, this is an absolutely gorgeous section of river, but not one to be taken lightly. Putting in at Station Camp rather than Leatherwood Ford allows paddlers to skip one madatory portage around Angel Falls and also avoid the long pool above Station Camp. A damage deposit is required on this section of river.
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27 MilesLeatherwood Ford to Blue Heron.
Trip takes 10-12 hours on-water time. This trip is a morning trip and meets at 10 am. Class II experience required. 1 mandatory portage-Devil's Jump. Recommended for ages 12 & up. This 27-mile trip runs through the heart of the Big South Fork National Park. It is extremely remote with a number of Class II rapids. It is appropriate for experienced paddlers. Characterized by huge boulders, high clifflines and numerous islands, this is an absolutely gorgeous section of river, but not one to be taken lightly. A damage deposit is required on this section of river.
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*Cancellation policies for canoeing/kayaking can be found by clicking here.*
