The southern Appalachians are the focus for whitewater in the Southeast. This is largely due to the longer season and warmer water than in the north, plus a well-developed community of whitewater fans. Tough rivers to leave off our list included the Nantahala (which is, thanks to Nantahala Outdoor Center, perhaps the mothership for whitewater adventure in the Southeast), the Ocoee, the Green, and the wily Watauga.

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The Top Three | The Wildest One! | (Don't Tell Anyone)

Some contend that this is the finest whitewater river along the East coast. The river divides nicely into sections of staunch rapids and stretches that are gently playful. Hotdoggers head for Section 4, which runs between Route 76 Bridge to the Tugalo Reservoir. This is the stretch featured in the 70s movie Deliverance, and it's every bit as wild as the film cracks it up to be. Mostly it's a hard-hitting Class IV, but after a good rain it gets to be a dead-intense Class V.

Section 3 from Earl's Ford to the Route 76 Bridge takes you through a magnificent wilderness canyon. Whitewater here is a little more manageable—Class III to IV. If you're looking for an uncomplicated float, it's hard to beat Section 2 from Route 28 to Earl's Ford. Here you can relax and really enjoy the life of the river.

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Buffalo, Arkansas
Difficulty: Class I to II
Season: March through October
Trip Length: One to several days

Arkansas's Buffalo River was the country's first national river, is roughly 150 miles long, and includes nearly 95,000 acres of public land along its corridor.

Like the Mulberry River and Big Piney Creek, the Buffalo originates in the rugged Boston Mountains division of the Ozarks. Unlike the other two streams, which eventually head south to meet the Arkansas River, the Buffalo goes east where, ultimately, it joins the White River. Along the way it descends nearly 2,000 feet through layers of sandstone, limestone, and chert. One immediately obvious result is bluffs and more bluffs—the highest in all the Ozarks. Other geological wonders are hidden away: springs, caves, waterfalls, natural bridges, and box-like canyons.

The 24-mile stretch downstream from Ponca is the star section on the Buffalo.

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Cumberland, Kentucky
Difficulty: Class I to III
Season: March through October, rain-fed
Trip Length: Several one- to three-day trips

The Cumberland is actually a river system that offers many options for one- to three-day trips. Think weekend paradise. The Big South Fork is probably the most renowned paddle. This is a near wilderness run through an area protected as the Big South Fork NRA. The environment is densely forested sandstone canyons, lush and rugged at the same time.

The North Fork ventures through a spectacular gorge. Boulders present a rambunctious obstacle course. This is known as the "Below the Falls Run," the "falls" referring to stunning Cumberland Falls. Above the falls, the river is swift but placid—superlative canoe territory.

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Russell Fork is known as the most difficult commercially run river in the East. It's the home of the notorious El Horrendo Rapid. Don't forget, in between the times that you're defying death, to stop and look around. The scenery is staggering.

The French Broad ventures through the Pisgah National Forest. The favorite section for most people is the run between Barnard and Hot Springs, which makes an eventful trip through a series of wooded gorges. This river alternates between quiet pools and challenging rapids, so you have time to catch your breath between whitewater runs. This is a good river for intermediate paddlers to improve their skills.

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