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Tennessee | Cumberland Plateau

Big South Fork

Burnt Mill Bridge to Leatherwood Ford

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Today

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Today's conditions

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Quick facts

On-water distance About 11 mi Burnt Mill Bridge to Leatherwood Ford
Difficulty hard This is not a recreational float. NPS rates Burnt Mill Bridge to Leatherwood Ford as Class III-IV, and American Whitewater describes the downstream Big South Fork gorge as a wilderness whitewater adventure with undercuts, sieves, Class III-IV rapids, long pools, and limited exits.
Shuttle Car 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.
Permits None noted No route-specific private paddling permit is known for this normal Big South Fork day run. Follow NPS rules, carry required safety gear, check park closures or access alerts, and obey any posted restrictions at Burnt Mill Bridge, O&W, and Leatherwood Ford.
Camping Options nearby Treat this as a committed day run unless the group has a separate NPS backcountry plan. Do not assume easy bailout camping; the gorge has limited access and private or managed boundaries away from documented public corridors.
Season Jan-Dec NPS lists the Burnt Mill to Leatherwood gorge run as fall, winter, and spring water, and the park warns that Cumberland Plateau streams can rise very quickly after rain. Early summer can work only when the same-day gauge, weather, and group skill all line up.

Plan

Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.

Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.

Access plan

Access, shuttle, and map

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.

Directions Apple Maps OpenStreetMap
Start

Put-in

Burnt Mill Bridge access on Clear Fork Open map

NPS publishes access directions for Burnt Mill Bridge and Leatherwood Ford, but this is still a remote gorge shuttle with limited exits and steep terrain.

Finish

Take-out

Leatherwood Ford access / USGS gauge corridor Open map

Leatherwood 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.

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Access caveats

  • NPS publishes access directions for Burnt Mill Bridge and Leatherwood Ford, but this is still a remote gorge shuttle with limited exits and steep terrain.
  • Leatherwood 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.
  • 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.

Watch for

  • Class III-IV gorge rapids, undercut sandstone, sieves, hydraulics, pin rocks, ledges, and long pools that can slow the trip.
  • Very low water below about 500 cfs, when the NPS descriptions call the gorge technical and rocky with pinning potential.
  • Powerful water above about 3,500 cfs, when rescue gets difficult and waves, boils, whirlpools, and continuous current become much more consequential.
  • Fast rain rises on Cumberland Plateau streams; NPS documents dramatic rises after heavy precipitation and warns water can rise rapidly with little warning.
  • Strainers, fresh flood wood, cold-water swims, limited cell service, remote rescue exposure, and steep walk-outs.

Route gallery

See this route on the water

Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.

The Big South Fork flows through the wooded Leatherwood Ford gorge corridor in Tennessee.
Big South Fork at Leatherwood Ford Photo by Brian Stansberry via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY 3.0

Sources

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Outlook Tomorrow and weekend

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Data behind the score Gauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge site South FK Cumberland River at Leatherwood Ford, TN
Discharge Checking
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Target band 1,000 cfs to 2,500 cfs
Low threshold 500 cfs
High threshold 3,500 cfs
Data confidence behind the range Official and local sources
Gauge observed Checking
Paddle Today updated Checking
Main source behind this score NPS Big South Fork river-level descriptions for the Leatherwood Ford gauge
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Notes What to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Official route shape Burnt 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.

    Source

  • Level model 500 / 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.

    Source

  • Direct live gauge USGS 03410210

    USGS South FK Cumberland River at Leatherwood Ford showed current May 31, 2026 discharge and gage-height observations during review, including 3,860 cfs and 9.80 ft at 14:30 EDT.

    Source

  • Access support NPS 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.

    Source

  • Whitewater hazards Undercuts, 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.

    Source

  • Coordinate anchors 36.3800, -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.

    Source

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Quick answers

Big South Fork paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Big South Fork?

Paddle Today watches South FK Cumberland River at Leatherwood Ford, TN and treats 1,000 cfs to 2,500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does this Big South Fork route start and end?

This route starts at Burnt Mill Bridge access on Clear Fork and ends at Leatherwood Ford access / USGS gauge corridor, about About 11 mi on the water.

Is this Big South Fork route good for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.

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