Santeetlah Lake and Nantahala River Trip

Camping and Paddling in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina

Loading up my sea kayak and two sit-on-top kayaks, I headed to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina to meet Dale for a long weekend of camping and paddling - both flatwater and whitewater paddling. We loaded up Dale's sea kayak and headed to Santeetlah Lake in the Nantahala National Forest. The lake is mostly surrounded by the national forest and the only development is the small town of Santeetlah. We camped at a campground on the northern shore and spent a day paddling the lake in our sea kayaks. We also found an overlook atop the mountain behind our campground that gave a good view of the lake and surrounding area.

Santeelah Lake is near Fontana Lake and the "Tail of the Dragon" road that runs over the mountain into Tennessee. The road is well known for it's many curves and is loved by motorcyclist and drivers alike who are looking for an exciting drive. It is also near the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and the Slickrock Wilderness Area. The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest contains one of the last remaining uncut original forests in the area.

After spending a second night camping, we took the two sit-on-top kayaks and headed for the Nantahala River. The Nantahala is the best known and most popular whitewater river in North Carolina. It is rather mild, being mostly class 2 with only one or two class 3 rapids. It attracts lots of people and dozens of outfitters are available for rentals and trips. The distance from the uppermost put in to the take out is about 10 miles and is a very enjoyable paddle. Although I carried my camera, it is difficult to take pictures while paddling whitewater.

We have paddled the Nantahala River so many times I have lost count, but this was the first time I tried to take pictures. We plan to try the French Broad River between Hot Springs and Marshall, North Carolina in late August.