Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting

Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting

Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting
5
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
Closed
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
You are ready to get out in the fresh mountain air, and we are open for rafting! Operating since 1993, SMO Rafting is the most trusted outfitter on the Pigeon River. Located in a short drive from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN, the Pigeon River Gorge offers breathtaking scenery and exciting whitewater rafting. Experience class III - IV rapids on the Upper Pigeon, or enjoy the fresh mountain air on a scenic float down the Lower Pigeon River. River safety has always been our top priority. You can trust SMO Rafting to provide a safe, healthy, and joyful day in the great outdoors. Rafting Season: March 1 - October 16. Guaranteed whitewater levels Memorial Day through Labor Day. Spring and Fall water levels vary and are unpredictable.
Hartford, Tennessee

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Travelers talk about

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles6,041 reviews
Excellent
5,690
Very good
264
Average
43
Poor
22
Terrible
22

DesireeinPA
Media, PA47 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
We absolutely lucked out and got Ziggy as our guide. His experience was evident immediately and put our very nervous crew at ease. It was our first time rafting for 3 out of the 4 of us and we started off nervous. Ziggy gave us incredibly clear instructions, gave us the opportunity to ask questions, then got us in the water. He was a stellar guide and provided very clear instructions as we approached each area of rapids. He also told us a little bit about each rapid including the name and class. As we went through the "tamer" areas he shared information about the area and his life experiences on various rivers and his travels. All in all, not only did we enjoy our whitewater rafting experience we also enjoyed hanging out with Ziggy for a couple of hours. We appreciated that he guided us very clearly, kept us safe, and provided great company. Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting appears to be one of the biggest rafting operations in the area, they've got a very smooth operation running. Everything was very well organized and they get you to the launch site quickly and efficiently. If you're interested in zip lining they offer a package deal with CLIMB works. This was also a fantastic experience!
Written June 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there! We really appreciate your review and we are glad you had a good time rafting with Ziggy. These reviews help us to keep doing a good job taking families down the river and creating great memories. Safety and fun is our priority. See you next time!
Written June 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

csquaredssquared
Virginia Beach, VA54 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Family
What a blast!!
I’d been whitewater rafting before but my husband and two kids hadn’t.
My 13 year old daughter was very nervous, I’m sure the other rafters heard her screams but she wants to try it again she had such a good time!!
My 16 year old son wants to work for the company. He is hooked!!
The bus ride made me nervous because it was filled but we wore masks and eyeglasses, used hand sanitizer, and then everyone got on their own rafts so that was fine.
I did convince my son and daughter to jump into the river with me, but my hubby stayed in the raft.
Hitting the rapids was awesome!
We felt very safe with the guides.
If your zip lining too definitely book online...SMO partners with CLIMBWORKS and you can get an additional discount.
Written July 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for this detailed review! We love hearing about peoples experience with us! Also, when your son is 18 tell him to apply! We hope to see you on the river soon! :)
Written July 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bon
Avon Lake, OH7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
We had an awesome afternoon trip down the Upper Pigeon Forge River Saturday, August 28th. Some of us were first timers and others more experienced.
Chike, our guide was one of the best guides we have had on the river. He was professional, fun, personable and strong as an ox! No worries about getting back in the boat after a quick swim, Chike can pull a huge wet walrus out of the river and into the boat like it was a 5 lb. sack of potatoes! We had fun interacting with other rafters and having a splash fest. The rafting trip had several areas of good rapids and some calm areas where you can jump in and swim along the rafts.
The cost was very reasonable compared to rafting down rivers like the Snake River and the New River Gorge.
They have an option to purchase photos which we recommend. Great pics by the way!
There are lockers to store your belongings as well as large restroom changing areas and a gift shop.
We highly recommend this company for your trip down the Pigeon Forge River.
And ask for Chike!
Written August 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your nice review! It is great to start your day reading these words, specially on a Monday morning. We are glad you had a great time rafting with Chike, he is indeed a very good river guide and a great person. Come back soon!!
Written August 30, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Joseph M
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Friends
Had a great time doing this with friends. If you do this activity definitely try to get Logan as your guide, he is the man and a riot! The kinda guy you want to grab a beer with. It was an incredibly windy day and he was so calm and collected we started as the last boat to push off on the river and with his navigation and control skills, we ended up cruising past the other boats who struggled and were first to dock. This activity was such a blast
Written March 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're so glad you enjoyed your day with SMO. Thanks for the review!
Written April 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Timothy B
Chicago, IL56 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2020 • Family
This organization does a great job from the time you book your rafting trip on through the rafting trip itself. Checkin, guides, trip itself were all very good. The rapids themselves weren’t as difficult as I expected. Only 3 sections where it was really level 4 and therefore that is the only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars. That said, really fun and definitely worth doing and worth doing with this company!
Written July 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the review! We are glad you had a great time on the Pigeon with us! We do encourage you to keep exploring all the great whitewater in the southeast!
Written July 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Danielle P
11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2020
I would highly recommend Smoky Mountain Outdoors for rafting in the Smokies. My husband and son went on the Upper River trip in the morning and had Evan as their guide. Then my daughter and I met up with them for the Lower River trip in the afternoon. Turner was our guide and he was fabulous. Very patient and easy to talk with. It was my first time rafting and he made me feel much more at ease about the experience. The Lower River trip was the perfect choice. Mostly calm with just a few quick mild rapids. Would highly recommend for someone who is new to rafting and wants to give it a try. Gorgeous scenery. We enjoyed the family time and would definitely do it again. It was definitely a highlight of our trip!
Written June 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there! thank you for your review, we are happy to hear when people have a great time down the river with SMO and even feels better when you hear good things about our river guides.
Written June 24, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

alakhmathur
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
I’m not one to write bad reviews for a business but the service, rather the lack thereof, was absolutely horrendous. We traveled all the way from NJ and were looking forward to the rafting experience. Unfortunately our car broke down and rather than working with us it was a simple “no you can’t get a refund but we can get you a gift certificate.” That may be practical for someone local, but as NJ residents, how does that make any sense. Additionally, the refund policy was never specified. Apparently there is a 48 hour restriction for refunds, but we bought the tickets two hours in advance. How would that make any sense?

It was unfortunate that the business did not work with us for a refund. As a business owner myself I’ve always went above and beyond to address the customers individual needs.
Written August 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts. We're concerned that you were unaware of our cancellation policy. It is clearly stated as a pop-up on our website booking engine prior to the payment page, and again on our confirmation email. If you called to book your reservation, our reservation agents are well-trained to verbalize the cancellation policy prior to finalizing the reservation. We're sorry you feel that the policy was never specified. How unfortunate that your car broke down, especially since it happened in the two-hour window between the time you booked your rafting trip and the trip time. That must have been a real problem for the whole vacation. We hope you had no problem getting immediate repair. Many cancellation policies simply result in forfeiture of payment, so we feel it's a courtesy to extend a credit toward a future rafting trip. The gift certificate does not expire. You can use it on any return trip from New Jersey. Best wishes for dependable transportation in your travels, and we hope to see you on the river on a future date.
Written August 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

HoustonBusyMom
Houston24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Family
We rafted the upper river with our 9 and 12 year old. They’re familiar with a paddle so we had no problem with them handling the class 2 and 3 rapids. Our tour guide Ziggy guided us through the rapids like a beast. We handled each rapid effortlessly. It was a blast!! It does include a 10 minute bus ride to the river where every bus seat is filled and we were the only ones wearing masks.
Written July 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for the review! We are so glad you had a great time and hope to see you on the river again soon! :)
Written July 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

David_C54_13
Wisconsin Dells, WI206 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
We had a family group of six on a chilly day. It was great fun. Our guide, Sean/Shawn, was funny and made sure we all got wet. The waves were big, but not enough to make our newbies get scared. We had lots of laughs and a fun trip.
Written April 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there! Thank you for your review. We are happy you and your family had a good time going down the Pigeon River with us. Come back again!
Written May 10, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

LauraA339
Michigan365 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2020 • Family
We wanted to experience the upper Pigeon river and some exciting whitewater rafting. We learned about this company because it was paired with a Zipline company CLIMB works. We got a great combo deal for a fun day and a great ride. The company is run very efficiently with experienced guides that keep you safe as you go through Class IV rapids or lower. We had guide SARAH who was amazing and kept us all in the raft - BUT NOT DRY 😆! She was skilled and made us all comfortable as we did each rapid telling us exactly what to do and when. We even got to take a fun dip if wanted which we all took advantage to do! It was just the right length of time 2hrs and I highly recommend this company.
Written May 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there! We are glad you had a good time rafting with Sarah as your guide, she is great. Thank you for your review!
Written May 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Smoky Mountain Outdoors Rafting - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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