Nantahala River Excursion

Bryson City is a small town in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains, streams, waterfalls, and lakes. It's wonderful location offers a wide range of outdoor activities from trails for hiking, walking, biking. Lakes for fishing and swimming. Many great places for camping and hunting. Then our famous Deep Creek for rafting, kayaking and tubing. With breathtaking views and endless activities Bryson City is the perfect small town getaway, nestled in the beautiful Western North Carolina mountains.

Town of Bryson City

The most extensive bridge work was required at the Little Tennessee River crossing, which is about a mile east of Almond. This bridge is 777 feet long, consisting of four 157 foot through truss spans and two 67 foot deck plate girder spans. The reinforced concrete piers that support the trusses are 160 feet high. This was quite a civil engineering feat. The five concrete piers were constructed first. A temporary bridge for vehicle crossing was built at the base of the piers. The first plate girder bridge was then set in place by a crane on the western abutment and the first pier. Since the treads on the crane were wider than the girder bridge, large beams were then laid across the bridge, twice the length of the crawler crane. The crane moved onto the bridge. When it reached the end of the beams, the ones not under the crane were picked up and moved in front of it. In this fashion, the crane could move forward to the end of the first girder and set the second one in place. Then, it could move to the end of the second one in the same manner.

The truss bridges presented more of a challenge. The concrete piers and two girder bridges were finished by November of 1943. The trusses had been disassembled for transportation to the site. A large platform almost the length of the truss was made up from four plate girders assembled side by side. This was carefully lifted into place by the crane. Temporary piers made from wood and steel were used to support this platform. This gave a surface for placing the many small deck plate girders that make up the track support for a truss bridge. Once they were in place, the crane could move onto them and assemble the truss. Each of the four trusses were assembled in this manner, working toward the east end of the bridge. Trains were travelling across the bridge by July of 1944.

Michael George — Southern Railway's Murphy Branch — 1996

North Carolina's shimmering Nantahala River, located just outside Bryson City, NC, at 13077 Highway 19 West, Bryson City, NC 28713. This location offers river rafting through family-friendly rapids that are mild but exciting. The Nantahala features eight miles of practice on easy Class II rapids before splashing through the exciting Class III whitewater of Nantahala Falls. The Nantahala is also headquarters of the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Founded in 1972, NOC is located at the intersection of the Appalachian Trail and the Nantahala River in the Nantahala National Forest. Originally a roadside inn, the company has evolved into one of the largest outdoor recreation companies in the nation, hosting well over one million guests each year.

Relax and enjoy the Smoky Mountain scenery by train and raft. Start the day with a relaxing three-hour train ride with impressive views of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Fontana Lake and the Nantahala Gorge. At NOC's campus enjoy a riverside lunch while preparing for an exciting rafting trip down the Nantahala River with NOC's expert guides. The two-hour fully-guided rafting trip is full of crystal-clear water, fun rapids and scenic views. The grand finale, Class III Nantahala Falls, will leave everyone smiling before the bus ride back to your vehicle in Bryson City.

Nantahala Outdoor Center