only search W.R.W.W.     Crab Orchard Creek   Obed-Emory System                                                  Photo compliments of Stu Thompson       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     Camping: This isn't free but it is VERY paddler friendly   Here is Erik's hostel and is his contact info is on Facebook.   Here is his link   Click Here for Erik's hostel and camping         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 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.   Put-in #3 -Alternative from Brandon Hughett via Facebook.  The put-in mentioned above talks the about Catoosa Wildlife Management Area being a factor and some ridiculous shuttle through Nemo. Plus, the put-in mentioned above suggests adds several miles of flatwater to the run. The run is already long, I'm not sure why you'd want to add flatwater to it. TWRA has a designated put-in with a concrete boat launch at Flat Rock Ford which will put you in about a mile or less above the good stuff. 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