Staying Home Sucks, home
The foundation of the Tellico Blockhouse is nestled along the shores of the Little Tennessee River (8908d72c-a41e-4cb5-b748-4ea2db70c554)
Near Kayak Launch. Photo: National Trails Office ( US National Park Service ), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Kayak Launch

Kayak spot · United States

Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river

Is it worth the trip?

92Good out of 100 for your dates

Home sucks

Best on Tue 3: Wind 3 kn gusting 9, Air 24 °C

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 100 out of 100

Wind
3 kn
Gusts
9kn
Air
24°C
Rain
0 mm

Wed 4 · 88 out of 100

Wind
1 kn
Gusts
8kn
Air
20°C
Rain
19.4 mm

Thu 5 · 95 out of 100

Wind
2 kn
Gusts
5kn
Air
22°C
Rain
0.7 mm

Fri 6 · 94 out of 100

Wind
2 kn
Gusts
7kn
Air
22°C
Rain
0 mm

Sat 7 · 85 out of 100

Wind
5 kn
Gusts
12kn
Air
17°C
Rain
0 mm

Sun 8 · 86 out of 100

Wind
4 kn
Gusts
10kn
Air
16°C
Rain
0 mm

Mon 9 · 86 out of 100

Wind
4 kn
Gusts
11kn
Air
14°C
Rain
0 mm

Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 294, good
  2. Tue 3100, good
  3. Wed 488, good
  4. Thu 595, good
  5. Fri 694, good
  6. Sat 785, good
  7. Sun 886, good
  8. Mon 986, good
  9. Tue 1083, good
  10. Wed 1191, good

The spot in one fact

  • Flat waterthe water

Full forecast

every day, every number

The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.

Wind and weather forecast and score for each day at Kayak Launch
DayScoreWindGustsAirRain
Mon 2Nov94, good4 kn10kn23°C0 mm
Tue 3Nov100, good3 kn9kn24°C0 mm
Wed 4Nov88, good1 kn8kn20°C19.4 mm
Thu 5Nov95, good2 kn5kn22°C0.7 mm
Fri 6Nov94, good2 kn7kn22°C0 mm
Sat 7Nov85, good5 kn12kn17°C0 mm
Sun 8Nov86, good4 kn10kn16°C0 mm
Mon 9Nov86, good4 kn11kn14°C0 mm
Tue 10Nov83, good4 kn9kn19°C0 mm
Wed 11Nov91, good4 kn11kn18°C0 mm

Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More

Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.

Best time to go

No month stands out

Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

  1. Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
  2. Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
  3. Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
  4. Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
  5. May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
  6. Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
  7. Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
  8. Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
  9. Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
  10. Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
  11. Nov7of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
  12. Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec

Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.

Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.

Map

the spot and its town

Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Photos of Kayak Launch

The Tellico Blockhouse looks out over the Little Tennessee River on a cloudy winter day (d3f62569-44c6-491d-a719-f3bbc608dce3)
Near Kayak Launch. Photo: National Trails Office ( US National Park Service ), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Kayak Launch

A launch on the Little Tennessee River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 28 km away. The town to stay in is Vonore.

  • River Little Tennessee River
  • Grade No grade is stated.
  • Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
  • Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
  • Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 28 km away.

Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.

The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).

Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,100–US$2,000 each

about US$1,100–US$2,000 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.

Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to TYS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$134–US$282
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$74–US$121
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$349–US$584
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$637
Kayak hire5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$201–US$376
Totalabout US$1,100–US$2,000

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Vonore

Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn

Closest

Vonore

about 10 min by car · 2 places to stay

about US$134/nightcountry average

See 2 places to stay in Vonore · Booking.com

About Vonore its beds, food and every spot near it

About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.

Getting there: about 4h 15m

About 4h 15m door to door from Chicago

Fly MDW → TYS, direct, then 50 min by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

On the water

Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby

No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.

Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits

Saved: this link opens the same trip

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The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.