Yallllll!!!!…read more Y'all!!!!! HANDS DOWN the best experience I have had white water rafting!!!!!!! I guess i should say head down!!!! SlimJim (Jake) but his Georgia given name is now 'woodpecker'. I'm horrible with names so that's what he was named for the day. He is an expert at what he does. We had 5 adults and a set of 13 year old triplets (that were basically level expert, already). We worked as a team. We laughed. There was no child, woman or man left behind. Just my dignity. I got pulled in the "swimming portion" by my girlfriend and just knew peanut butter ball (woodpecker) wasn't gonna be able to get me back in that raft and boy was I wrong. That man picked me up so effortlessly and efficiently that I accidentally turned into the human scorpion (Rob Dyrdek's show 'ridiculousness' for reference). We were all laughing so hard because I was left stuck upside down which was even funnier. Helmet stuck. Life jacket conformed into a turtle shell and I was just stuck and laughing along with everyone else. Now--- No. Im not a big back woman partaking in bigbacktivities that I shouldn't be. . Just a little thickum, if you will. The entire day truly made this vacation one for the books. Jake lead with precise guidance, was very professional and an all around genuinely great human being that ensures your safety as well as makes you laugh like he's known you for ages. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this adventure with your friends, your family, strangers--- or-- heck even just with ol SlimJim, himself!!! Thank you so much for such an absolutely incredible experience. You were made to interact with others to pass on your joy! - GA Jen Ray and Skye Ledford. #shedidnotDDTme

We had an amazing river rafting experience with Big Greek Expeditions! Judd was an absolutely…read morecrazy, fun, and awesome instructor/guide who made the whole adventure unforgettable. He kept us laughing, made us feel comfortable and safe, and helped us have a fantastic time from start to finish. If you're thinking about trying river rafting, Big Greek Expeditions is the way to go -- and ask for Judd! Highly recommended! ‍

Chose this one because of high reviews. We had to wait and start late because they didn't staff…read morecorrectly. The. When we got to launch point, we had to wait over half hour because they didn't have the rafts needed for the reservation. Bus had to go get them. A discount or free photo or something for lack of planning would be expected. Nothing. I'm hopeful it was just an off day. Kevin our guide was great and full of knowledge.

Awesome, awesome, awesome! This was my first time ever rafting and I must say that it was a great…read moreexperience. The guys at Wildwater are a great group of knowledgeable and experienced rafters. When you are heading there, you may seem to think that these guys don't care, or know what they are doing, but as soon as they hit the water, its a mixture of seriousness and fun, all in one. Dave was our guide and we couldn't have asked for a better guide. He took us "surfing" on every chance we had and was very good at dealing with my two young nieces that were on our raft. Even though he fell, or should I say was popped out, of the boat when we went through "Razor Rock" he quickly got back in the boat without missing a beat..(Sorry you had to buy your friends a case of beer).. Anytime I go back to Gatlinburg or the surrounding area, I would be sure to visit Wildwater again and would specifically ask to ride with Dave again.. Check them out, it is great!

What an amazing experience and honestly our favorite while here in the smokies!!! I booked this…read moreexperience on Groupon for both me and my bestie, great price and even included pictures. This was our first time white water rafting and it definitely won't be the last. We had Willie as our guide and he was fantastic. Definitely made it a fun,comfortable, and memorable experience for us. The experience lasts about 3 hours, starting with a safety brief, bus ride, and then the trip down the river. All the staff here were kind and helpful too, will definitely be coming back again someday!

We found this company on Groupon, and decided to give it a shot since the reviews were good. This…read moreis a small, family-owned company with no frills, but that doesn't affect the quality of the experience you receive! All of the guides were awesome, and we all had a blast. "Journey" was our guide, and she was super nice and knowledgeable. I highly recommend 5 Rivers!

We went rafting with Paul and had an amazing time! We had 9 in our group from ages 12-45 and he did…read morea great job entertaining everyone. The rapids were not as crazy as they were last time we went a few years ago but it was still fun. The only disappointment was that they tell you to get there 45 minutes early for no reason and they got there late so we were standing around with nothing to do.

I hate to leave a lukewarm review of an experience that should have been one of the highlights of…read moreour summer vacation. However, our guide Caleb (who is probably a perfectly nice guy under different circumstances) does not have a clue how to interact with kids. His irritation that we had children in our party (and non-athletic kids who needed guidance on how to paddle at that) was quite apparent for the entire duration of our voyage. It put me on edge, feeling like I had to be apologetic for not having raised big strapping boys who'd spent their summers on the water, and I ended up spending the time barking orders at my kids because I was nicer about it than he was, and wanted him to lay off. At one point he started shouting at us all to paddle, then immediately realized we were paddling straight into a cluster of rocks and told us to stop - but it was too late. My eldest son and I went flying over the side of the raft. He was plucked from the water immediately, but I wasn't so lucky. My husband held out his oar for me to grab onto, but by then the raft was already too far away. I followed the instructions I had been given for such an event, floating and bobbing along until another raft pulled upside of me and was able to pull me aboard. Mind you, this experience didn't upset me: I didn't get hurt, I never felt I was in any real danger, and now I had a story to tell. But when my rescue raft dropped me off in the raft with my family, Caleb proceeded to chew me out for "letting go of the raft" (huh? I was never holding onto the raft?) Later on, my kids told me that after I'd fallen over, when no one knew how to proceed (try to save mom or keep moving?) he actually screamed at them to "Paddle, damnit!" The views were absolutely gorgeous. And we got to see a bald eagle.

Had the time of our lives! Easy enough for a stock jeep but off the beaten path enough for modified…read morejeeps to have a blast too. Ready to go again

If you're looking for a fun place to ride ATVs this place is NOT the place you want to go. First…read moreoff, during the safety meeting I made a lighthearted comment about how my group will "knock the socks off" of our guide and the owner replied with "Thats why I keep my gun on me." TWICE WTF?!?! (Room full of kids by the way) Then he goes on acting like he's Ricky Carmichael, boasting about how he is a better rider than everyone there (grown man btw) and how he's got trophies taller than him. Finally, we begin the ride, nothing about this "adventure" was fun, we went so slow on the quads that I rather just hiked the damn thing. They don't allow any type of riding unless you're up the guides ass going 10mph. All of the guides were not outgoing and all had very serious attitudes which killed our groups vibe. Then during the ride me and the boys decided to get cheeky and we started drifting on turns (nothing crazy) and the big girl starts freaking out and yelling at the top of her lungs. Very unprofessional OVERALL: This place is a scam. It's not an adventure and all the workers act like their shit don't stink. Highly Do not recommend unless you wanna have a bad experience. How they can reflect: You guys have such an amazing opportunity to showcase the beautiful woods of Tennessee, so why would you spend it being stuck up and strict? Life is meant about making memories with people close to you and this is something that people would come back to forever if they just chilled out a little bit and let the customers just ride! And don't tell me that it aint a racetrack, any dirt road in the south is a racetrack! Everyone knows that! Do better!

I saw this place on TikTok and decided to try the river float. If you go, definitely bring a water…read morebottle that you can clip to your tube with a carabiner and a small waterproof bag for your phone and other stuff. They do sell waterproof bags there, but they're about $25. They normally have two different float routes. You're supposed to do the first one and then drive to the second. Unfortunately, we couldn't do the second float because there was an accident that had the road completely blocked for hours. The first float took us about 2 hours, which felt like a pretty good amount of time on the water. Depending on the water level, you may have to hop out of your tube in a few spots and walk it over some rocks because parts of the river can get pretty shallow. It all depends on how high or low the water is that day. Also, make sure you use the bathroom before you start and don't forget sunscreen. There are a lot of beautiful houses along the river, but remember to stay off private property. Overall, it was a fun time and I'd definitely come back again.

My friends and I had the best time tubing down the Little River, in Townsend, with Smokey Mountain…read moreRiver Rat...Great location, kind & helpful staff, loads of fun! Highly recommend for people of all ages looking for an enjoyable activity with friends or family. Thank you, River Rat crew, for providing a great experience for me and my friends.

We were seeking adventure and had so many options for whitewater rafting. We decided on this…read moreparticular company for a couple of reasons 1. We could fit 4 in a raft 2. It had a coupon for $12 off!! We called on Tuesday night about 7:45 (they closed at 9) and talked to Teresa who was able to schedule our foursome for a trip at 2:00 on Wednesday. She was so helpful and gave us some tips for travel to Hartford. Once we got there we checked in with a very competent and thorough young lady. We took a short bus ride to the "put in" point. On the 10 minute ride some of the guides performed fun comedic routines which kept us from thinking about how hot we were on a bus with no AC ( except open windows), decked out in life jackets and helmets while holding our paddles upright. :-) We got paired with a river rafting guide named Brantley. He gave us great paddling instructions before we even entered the raft. Since we had all been river rafting before, he explained that the trick to having a more exciting trip is to synchronize your paddle strokes. We had a great time with Brantley. We truly appreciate his concern for our "fun factor" and especially our safe trip down the river.

Been on family trips for more than ten years. We've tubed and canoed but this was by far the most…read morefun. Guides are friendly and fun all while giving the sense of trust that they are looking out for your safety. Our group was 4 parents in one raft and 5 young adults in another (each raft can hold 6). Be sure to tell your guide you want to "surf the rapids".

The drive for us proved to be fruitful as we saw 5 bears on our first day in the national park. We…read moresaw 2 baby bear cubs in the trees, we walked on a trail and saw them. Subsequently, we drove towards the Cades Cove visitor center and saw 3 juvenile cubs crossing the road and eating grass next to the cars. Absolutely amazing. Only traffic we encountered was when everyone was stopping to see the 3 juvenile cubs by the side of the road. Other than that, we finished the loop quickly...maybe because we went late in the afternoon between 3-4pm. Lots of wild turkeys along the pastures too. Maybe saw 11-12 of them that afternoon on 6/6/2026. Also saw some deer hiding among the trees. Definitely go here to spot wildlife!!

11 mile, one way drive with jaw dropping scenery and some old homes and churches along the way. We…read moresaw some horses and deer, but unfortunately no bears. We arrived around 6am on a Saturday, and while there were other cars around, we had no problem finding parking and there were no traffic jams. We finished up around 9am. The visitor center and mill are located about halfway through the drive. It opens at 9am though, so if you get an early start like we did, it probably won't be open. Definitely get the map for $1.25 so you know what you're looking at. On Wednesdays, they close the loop to cars and it's only accessible to pedestrians and bikes.