See all 5 routes on Big South Fork
Tennessee | Cumberland Plateau
Big South ForkBurnt Mill Bridge to Leatherwood Ford
Advanced Big South Fork gorge day that links the Clear Fork put-in at Burnt Mill Bridge with the Leatherwood Ford take-out. NPS documents the route and level descriptions, and the direct Leatherwood Ford USGS gauge gives a live same-day check.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Burnt Mill Bridge on Clear Fork and take out at Leatherwood Ford for the classic Big South Fork gorge extension. Use the Leatherwood Ford USGS gauge, and skip the route when the water is below the rocky floor, above the high cutoff, rising quickly, or outside the group skill set.
Access map
Put-in
Burnt Mill Bridge access on Clear ForkNPS publishes access directions for Burnt Mill Bridge and Leatherwood Ford, but this is still a remote gorge shuttle with limited exits and steep terrain.
Take-out
Leatherwood Ford access / USGS gauge corridorLeatherwood Ford is the planned take-out and has the direct USGS gauge corridor; do not drift past the take-out without a separate downstream plan.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Leatherwood Ford, then drive to Burnt Mill Bridge. NPS access roads include rural, steep, or gravel sections; check park alerts, weather, road condition, daylight, and whether every paddler is qualified for Class III-IV gorge water before leaving vehicles.
Additional access notes
- O&W Bridge and Pine Creek are potential intermediate access or emergency reference points, but they should not be treated as easy rescue substitutes.
- Check NPS park alerts before launching. Big South Fork access, roads, trailheads, or river corridors can close after storms, floods, maintenance, or emergency conditions.
More route and safety guidance
- Check USGS 03410210, recent rain, and the NPS gauge guidance immediately before launching. The river is free-flowing, can rise quickly, and the historic level descriptions are generalized, so scout rather than treating a number as clearance.
- Confirm Burnt Mill Bridge and Leatherwood Ford access before leaving vehicles, keep the group together, and plan for undercuts, sieves, strainers, cold-water swims, long pools, and only a few emergency exit points.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
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Conditions
Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.
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Gauge source
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Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
South FK Cumberland River at Leatherwood Ford, TN. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route shapeBurnt Mill Bridge to Leatherwood Ford, 11 miles
NPS lists Burnt Mill Bridge to Leatherwood Ford as an 11-mile Big South Fork gorge run with Class III-IV difficulty, 20 feet per mile average drop, and fall/winter/spring use season.
- Level model500 / 1,000-2,500 / 3,500 cfs
NPS-hosted Leatherwood Ford descriptions call 500 cfs very low and technical, 1,000 cfs optimum for open canoes, 1,800 to 2,500 cfs increasingly big Class III-IV water, and 3,500 cfs powerful with difficult rescue. The app uses a guarded whitewater target range and high cutoff from those descriptions.
- Gauge check during route review · May 31, 2026USGS 03410210
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Access supportNPS Burnt Mill Bridge and Leatherwood Ford access directions
NPS publishes driving directions for both Burnt Mill Bridge and Leatherwood Ford, and separately lists Leatherwood Ford as the most accessible take-out for the Big South Fork gorge run.
- Whitewater hazardsUndercuts, sieves, Class III-IV drops, limited exits
American Whitewater identifies the Confluence-to-Leatherwood reach as Class II-IV wilderness whitewater with deep undercuts, sieves, major rapids, long pools, and limited access. NPS safety material also warns about strainers, hydraulics, fast-water foot entrapment, and difficult rescue.
- Manager safety guidanceDynamic whitewater, cold-water exposure, strainers, and limited emergency access
NPS says some Big South Fork sections should be attempted only by highly skilled paddlers with proper equipment, conditions can change quickly, and groups should avoid strainers and hydraulics, know the take-out, and prepare for cold-water swims and limited emergency access.
- Coordinate anchors36.3800, -84.6200 to 36.4710, -84.6730
Burnt Mill Bridge is anchored to USGS-topo-derived public bridge coordinates. The take-out is anchored to the Leatherwood Ford access/gauge corridor, where the USGS gauge and NPS access are at the planned finish.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- NPS Big South Fork river run descriptions
- NPS Big South Fork river levels
- NPS Big South Fork river gauges
- NPS Big South Fork river access points
- NPS Big South Fork river safety
- USGS 03410210 Leatherwood Ford monitoring location
- USGS 03410210 legacy current conditions
- American Whitewater Big South Fork gorge
- American Whitewater Clear Fork Burnt Mill to Confluence
Other routes nearby
More on Big South Fork
All 5Nearby routes within 75 miles
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