Yet another popular destination in the Cumberland Gap area is the beautiful Powell River. This 195-mile-long river rises in Wise County, Virginia, and flows southwest into East Tennessee before reaching its confluence with the Clinch River in the Norris Lake reservoir.
The Powell River is especially popular among anglers and kayakers. If fishing is your passion, the river is home to a variety of fish, including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, red-eye bass, carp, red horses, bluegill, walleye, sauger, and musky. In fact, the Powell River was designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the “second most biologically diverse aquatic system in the nation.”
For kayakers, there are several primitive launching sites and one developed launching area managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) at Mulberry Creek. Powell River is a mostly quiet flatwater river rated as class I from the Virginia border to Norris Lake. Though there are sufficient ripples and fast-moving water in some areas, the river is still considered suitable for beginners and novices. The biggest issue paddlers face is that there are long, remote stretches without any access points.
Lincoln Memorial University operates the Powell River Aquatic Research Station in Claiborne County, which allows for on-site research of water quality and surrounding habitat.
Visit the sparkling waters of this highly scenic river that courses through pastoral meadows, steep wooded ridges, and rising bluffs, and find out for yourself why the Powell River is a true outdoor treasure right in our backyard!