Mom-Approved Whitewater Rafting on the Tuckasegee River

About The Tuckasegee River

The “Tuck” as the locals fondly call it, gets it start in the Cashiers and Panthertown area of Jackson County.  It drops and winds through six reservoirs that vary in size from one to two acres to as large as major lakeside communities. 

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The Tuck is then reborn in the community of Tuckasegee about 18 miles south of our location. This is good because the temperature of the water coming out of the powerhouses is about 55 degrees!!  By the time the dam-released water reaches us it has warmed up to 65-70 degrees. 

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The rapids of the Tuck are the Class II drop and pool variety. This means that after each of the rapids there is typically a pool of calm to slower-moving water. Class I means mild moving water, and Class II means moving water with a wave or two.

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The official whitewater rapids rating system goes all the way up to Class VI. Class V is hardcore, difficult rafting with huge rapids. Class VI is  beyond the limits of navigability. 

Warm water combined with Class I and II rapids is why we have a minimum requirement of only 4 years old or 40lbs. for kids.

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What is the correct spelling of “Tuckasegee”?  There are three spellings that are commonly found here in our Western North Carolina region: Tuckasegee, Tuckaseegee, and Tuckaseigee.

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The word comes from the Cherokee word “Di-gah-se” and means place of the turtle.

Our Location and Amenities

Dillsboro River Company is located directly by the riverside on the Tuckasegee, in the town of Dillsboro, North Carolina.

The check-in desk, changing rooms / bathrooms and parking lot are all within yards of our easy and private access to the river. Our take-out is located 5.5 miles downstream, and also has bathrooms. The shuttle back to the put-in takes about 8 minutes. 
 

The Dillsboro River Company store is a beautiful barn style cabin overlooking the Tuck. We carry everything you will need to have a great trip down the river, such as sunscreen (complimentary), water ($1-2 a bottle), river shoes ($9.95 / pair), and snacks (range from .75 to $5).

Your safety is important to us. Please refrain from bringing any drugs or alcohol onto our property (this includes both rentals and shuttles). We have a zero tolerance policy. If you choose to bring bags or coolers on your river adventure, we reserve the right to search the contents. 

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