Water Quality (1 bad 3 good)
Scenery (1 bad 3 good) 
Map:
Watershed Map (to find location and size of creek) Click Here
Special thanks to Steve Zerfos for making the map.
Crab Orchard Creek
"The most Class III fun for the buck, when in the Obed-Emory system"
Length:13.75 miles long
Gradient:
Min: 45
Max 80
Class III.5
Shuttle Service:
For a fee of around $ 30.00 you can get a shuttle in the Obed-Emory area.
Contact Bryson Snodgrass at 865-617-3552
Video:
If you would like to see some nice video footage of the Obed-Emory streams and other East Tennessee streams please enjoy Chris Arp's website CLICK HERE.
Access Issues:
You need to know when it is hunting season. The directions given here are to help you go around the
closed roads so you can boat this gem year round. You need to check out the T.S.R.A. website to see
when you have access or not.
Level Needed:
Please see our flowpage.
Photo courtesy of Travis J. Camp Paddlers Jason, George, Amy and Janet.
Shuttle:
Remember to always use I-40 as your base guideline to get your bearings.
Put-in:#1
(During Closed Hunting Season)
Okay put your thinking cap on and get out your Tennessee Gazetteer.
Leaving I-40, take the Westel Road exit. Head north. At mile 1/2 you will come to an
intersection. GO LEFT. Drive about 5 miles (My VW Vanagon odometer was out at the time)
Once into/at the Catoosa Management sign, head left....I SAID LEFT! Pay attention I hate
telling someone to use a sign, when a redneck might shoot it , or steal it.
The put-in fords the creek.
Put-in #2
(During Open Hunting Season)
Leaving Wartburg,
find Catoosa Road ,leaving Wartburg Tennessee, then once driving, you will come across Nemo Bridge.
Drive across Nemo.Leave Nemo bridge and continue driving on Catoosa Road. At the Catoosa Checking
station take the fork in the road, to the left. Then in a little bit you will drive by Island Creek.
You will cross Island Creek. Keep driving, keep driving and you will come to Crab Orchard.
Take-out:
The take-out is at Oakdale.
Drive on U.S. Hwy 27 (After leaving I-40), then at the intersection of Tenn Hwy. 29 turn left.From here you will go
to Oakdale. From here turn right, onto the county road that follows beside the Emory. You will park at
Camp Austin.
Overview:
Crab Orchard is a blast , almost everyone who has paddled it, has loved it. It's only competition on a Class III level
is Town Creek in Alabama. Crab Orchard is better than Town. The put-in and take-out are not a P.I.T.A. Crab Orchard
is loaded with Class III rapids and Crab is blessed with nice gradient, with no lake paddle. It's gradient keeps you moving
the whole time. Best of all its a beautiful run in the upper reaches. The only bad thing ,is catching this gem with
water in it!
It is recommended to have a run on Lower White's Creek first.
Paddler Kevin Rodgers Photo compliments of Stu Thompson
The Creek:
The first section is flat for about the first half mile. Then Crab starts to show its true nature. It slowly begins
building up steam ,and the gradient stays consistent.
The only real hazard: Cliff Right Rapid
About into mile three the water flows into a cliff wall, just like on like on Lower White's Creek.
Boulder Garden:
What an un-original name but you will run into a boulder garden that is tight and great for a taste of creeking.
Majority of the Run:
For the most part, Crab Orchard is straight forward slide type rapids, that don't seem to stop at higher water.
At lower level you get a little bit of a break with more defined pools in between the major rapids. The lower section
picks up speed with holes to keep the intermediate busy
