Can you reserve a site at Pigeon River?

No. Pigeon River is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Pigeon River, Tennessee — sites, fees and cancellation alerts

Pigeon River

Facility · Tennessee ·

Managed by the USDA Forest Service

1,357 ft

Elevation

Named for the extinct passenger pigeon whose migration routes traversed this area, the Pigeon River is now a popular recreation destination for fisherman and river rafters alike.

Fisherman can catch smallmouth bass on the river all year long. If rafting is more appealing to you, this dam controlled river is divided into two sections (upper & lower). The upper section runs from just below the Walters power plant at Waterville, NC five miles through class III & III+ rapids to the takeout at Hartford ,TN. The lower section, almost five additional miles, starts in Hartford and runs through class II & III rapids to the lower takeout, just before Denton, TN. Contact any of the local guides and outfitters for additional information.

The Cocke County Tennessee Chamber of Commerce website contains a list of local outfitter and guides for the French Broad River.

Typical weather

Typically 86°F in Jul, down to 49°F in Jan.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	49	53	61	71	77	83	86	85	80	70	60	51
Low °F	29	32	38	46	54	62	65	64	59	48	37	32
Precip in	4.2	3.9	4.7	4.5	4.6	6.4	6.5	4.6	4.0	2.7	3.4	4.4

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 1.5 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

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Common questions about Pigeon River

Can you reserve a site at Pigeon River?: No. Pigeon River is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Camping near Pigeon River

Big Creek Horse Camp 2.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
Big Creek Group Camp 2.7 mi · Campground · we watch it
Big Creek Campground (Great Smoky Mountains National Park) 2.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Cosby Picnic Pavilion 5.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
Cosby Group Camp 5.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Cosby Campground 5.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
Harmon Den Campground 8.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
Round Mountain Campground 9.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
Cataloochee Group Camp 10 mi · Campground · we watch it
Cataloochee Campground 11.2 mi · Campground · we watch it
Pigeon River Area 4.2 mi · Facility
French Broad River 11.2 mi · Facility

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Info Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.

Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.