Little River (Knox County / Tennessee)

The Little River in Knox County, Tennessee, is a scenic waterway that originates in the Great Smoky Mountains and flows through Blount County before forming the border with Knox County and emptying into Fort Loudon Lake on the Tennessee River. It offers excellent opportunities for outdoor recreation, particularly paddling, fishing, and nature enjoyment in its calmer lower sections. Visitors can enjoy kayaking or canoeing along the blueway stretches, try their luck at fishing for smallmouth bass and other species, or explore nearby parks for hiking and picnicking. In the upper reaches closer to the mountains (accessible from the Knoxville area), it is famous for family-friendly tubing, swimming in refreshing pools, and wading on hot summer days.