OK after wing night me and the miss are gonna head south way south. Well we are looking at doing some camping on our way to FL. We were thinking somewhere in the Smoky Mts. We have a few extra days to kill and we want to canoe some. Some fishing would be nice too. Anyway anyone have any ideas, we we would love to hear them.

Thanks

JB

There are some sweet rivers to paddle in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas. The upper Current river in MO and the Buffalo river in AR are two really good ones.

I love Cades Cove and its campground, but it's a few miles to town and not real close to any canoeable water. A great place to camp, boat and fish is Fontana Lake at the edge of Smokies near Bryson City?, NC. If you go there be sure to fish Hazel and Eagle feeder creeks!

If you find yourselves in the Missouri Ozarks, like Monkey says try some of the rivers there. My favorite is the Eleven Points. Fast moving waters with class 1 and 2 rapids will be a challenge after flat water paddling. When in FL, try St. Joseph's State Park just south of Panama City. The most beautiful(and protected) beaches I've ever seen and a great wilderness hiking trail. Bay on the inland side is very suitable for canoeing. If you make it to the Everglades, you have got to visit Flamingo Park. Incredible ecosystem and canoeing on the huge Florida Bay. Have fun!

Watch out for Skeeters, Kudders and Bubbas, they are plentiful in the south.

Lots of good camping if you go over the Smokies to the NC side, commercial sites iwth all the trimmings and national park sites a bit less fancy, no problem finding anything. Enjoy the drive thru the Park, allow time for pull overs and short hikes.; I agree Fontana Lake is a nice paddle if you want a no-shuttle option, the Tuckiseegee, Little Tennesse, and Oconoluftee offer sections with no whitewater or small drops you can run (class I-II) pretty easily. Lite whitewater rafting is available on the Nanatahala too, a great time for those who want to try whitewater but prefer not to be scared to death do so. The Town nearby all this stuff is Bryson City and the Indiana reservation is around Cherokee.

humm?

Thanks guys I'm looking into all of them, keep em coming.

JB

Great campground at Nantahala....called Lost Mine...talk to Anne...she's a jewel. Nanny is a great Class II-III river w/ lots of ledges and the "Falls" at the takeout. Don't use your kevlar boat!!!

I highly reco the Buffalo River in the Ozarks....Class I drops every mile or so keep the river flowing and you from paddling every foot of it. Herd of woodland Elk often seen on the banks and surrounding fields.

In FL I'd suggest checking out Myakka State Park, just east of Sarasota. A fun paddle amongst the alligators, Buzzards, Egrets, and many other animals.

If you go to St. Joseph's park south of Panama City, FL you must stop at Crooked Island beach. It is on Tyndall Air Force Base, but it is open to the public. There is a little gravel road about 2 miles out of Mexico Beach that goes to the Island. We were there last Fall and many days we were the only ones on the beach. We caught red fish, pomano, whiting, flounder, etc. right from the beach. The white sand is incredible and if you like shelling, you won't be bored. We are going to stay by St. Josephs state park for 2 weeks in October - can't wait!!

Cade's Cove in Smokey Mts, Mammoth Cave if going down I-65 through KY, Land Between the Lakes/KY Lake/Lake Barkley if going through western KY.

I visited the Smokeys several years ago on the NC side. We camped a the Balsam Mt. Campground. Its a high elevation site which made for some interesting weather. Misty and cool in the AM and sunny and moderate in the PM. Trail access there too. We also did the Natahala white water trip. At that time they only had one guide for a group of rafts. Since I had canoe experience, I was appointed steersman for one of the rafts. Got my anxiety up a bit, but sure was fun.

Canoeing Fla with the Gators has me a bit spooked. I don't want to sound like a chicken s#&t but a buddy of mine told me I look like a cheeseburger to a gator.

Has anyone canoed in gator infested waters? Any tips besides keeping your hands and feet in the canoe.

Thanks JB

Yes I have, in Flamingo State Park. Don't fear them, they are less threatening than a 40" Pike. If you're lucky, you'll see a salt water croc.