0.5 miles. The last drop above the confluence with the Nantahala is 28 feet of mega-gnarl that we’ll call Mean Mistreater. Make sure to take out at least 50 yards above this, as there isn’t much of an eddy to depend on closer to it. Then tiptoe carefully around and put in for a sane run down the Cascades, if you’ve got the energy. Mean Mistreater has been run, but not by people who put their skirts on like you and I do.
SHUTTLE: From Nantahala Outdoor Center, take US 19/74 south to CR 1310. Take a left onto CR 1310 and go 6.6 miles to Whiteoak Dam on the right. Take out just above the confluence with the Nantahala River on CR 1310.
GAUGE: None. Assuming a normal dam release, a level of 4.5 feet on the Nantahala River gauge may be a good indicator of enough water.
NANTAHALA RIVER
The Nantahala heads up just inside the edge of Nantahala National Forest before entering Nantahala Lake, reportedly the highest lake in North Carolina. From there some water is piped down the mountain to the power plant 0.25 miles above the Section C put-in. Sections A and B only run after heavy, extended rainfall, which results in dam spill-over from Nantahala Lake and heavy feeder-stream influence up high. The piped water meets the natural flow just above Section C, one of the most popular whitewater runs in the country. The water temperature on this stretch is generally 45° F due to the diverted water being pulled from the bottom of the lake. While Section A is recommended only for experts, Section B is challenging for high-intermediate and advanced boaters. Section C is suitable for intermediate-level paddlers and ends just above the Class V Wesser Falls. Below is Lake Fontana. Nantahala, meaning “land of the noonday sun,” was the name given to it by the Cherokee Indians because the deep gorge shuts out the sun for most of each day.
The cold water can create an unusual phenomenon on a very warm day. A fog rises about 3 feet above the water, sometimes cutting visibility down to a few feet. There is continuous whitewater from Patton’s Pool to the takeout below Nantahala Falls. A bailer—make that a big bailer—is a necessity for the canoeist running the Nantahala.
Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) is located at the takeout below Nantahala Falls, and they conduct paddling clinics and raft trips down the river beginning in the spring and continuing into the fall. This is an excellent way for the uninitiated to try the river for the first time. NOC also has restaurants, stores, and motel accommodations. For those who wish to camp, Lost Mine Campground, which is privately owned, is located on CR 1103 only 1 mile from Wesser.
MAPS: Topton, Hewitt, Wesser (USGS); Macon, Swain (County)
class: IV–V
length: 1 mi.
time: 1.5 hrs.
gauge: Visual
level: 4.2 ft.
permits: No
gradient: 210
scenery: A
CR 1310 (GRAVEL ROAD TURNOUT 4.2 MILES ABOVE FOREST SERVICE PUT-IN) TO FIRST BRIDGE DOWNSTREAM ON CR 1310
DESCRIPTION: This section, known to the local boaters as the Cascades, is user-friendly only for confident experts. Though not in the top echelon of hard-water runs, this 1-mile stretch will test anyone’s skills. After a brief 0.3-mile warmup, you come to the first Class V rapid. Horns of Gods is a two-stage drop of 16 feet. The upper drop has one obvious slot while the second ledge has a bit more margin for error. A short way downstream is the largest, most difficult rapid on this run. Big Kahunah has a total drop of 22 feet. The line is down the right, blasting off the 9-foot ledge to finish. Almost immediately downstream is Chinese Feet, the last major rapid. Chinese Feet (the name has to be blotter influenced) is best run by hammering into the eddy on the left at the top and then running the 8-foot slot to the left of the boulder that splits the river. From here to the bridge, there is a lot of interesting, though less significant, whitewater. The run can only be done after extended rainfall and generally has a window of two days at best. The road parallels the river on this section allowing for easy scouting, portaging, and aborted trips.
SHUTTLE: From Nantahala Outdoor Center, take US 19/74 south to CR 1310. Take a left onto CR 1310 and go 4.2 miles to a small dirt road on the right where you can park. Take out at the first bridge downstream.
GAUGE: The USGS gauge located just upstream of Ferebee Park on Section C should read 4.2 at a minimum. This assumes a normal release of 3.2 feet from the power plant. See the gauge for Section C below.
class: III
length: 3.2 mi.
time: 2.5 hrs.
gauge: Phone
level: n/a
permits: No
gradient: 100
scenery: A
CR 1310 BRIDGE TO FOREST SERVICE PUT-IN FOR STANDARD (SECTION C) RUN
DESCRIPTION: This section is solid, continuous, boat-scoutable Class III water. There are no major difficulties for the boater who can handle those conditions. The road, as on Section A, follows the river pretty closely.
SHUTTLE: From Nantahala Outdoor Center, take US 19/74 south to CR 1310. Take a left onto CR 1310 and go to the fifth bridge across the river. Take out at the Forest Service access area at the intersection of CR 1310 and US 19.
GAUGE: See Section A.
class: I–II (III)
length: 8 mi.
time: 2.5 hrs.
gauge: Phone
level: n/a
permits: Yes
gradient: 33
scenery: A–B
POWER PLANT TO WESSER
DESCRIPTION: Below the put-in at the forks, Patton’s Run begins. The rapid is named after Charlie Patton of Brevard, North Carolina. He was an avid paddler of the Nantahala despite the fact that he had practically no use of one arm. He died after a trip down this, his most beloved river.
Patton’s Run is a long Class III, requiring the paddler to stay to the inside of the bend. This is heavy, fast water. It, as well as most of the river, can be scouted from US 19, which follows the river very closely throughout the run. Scout this one from the pulloff on the highway before launching.
The river continues along its fast course with little letup for the next 7.5 miles.
Nantahala Falls, which is about 400 yards above Nantahala Outdoor Center, is a Class III, which at higher levels easily becomes a Class IV. There is a short quiet pool above it where one can pull over easily—either to scout the falls or to pull out. Look for the concrete apron on the right with a well-marked path. The
