Nantahala River River Levels

Last Updated: December 4, 2025

The Nantahala River is a 35-mile tributary of the Little Tennessee River in North Carolina.


Summary

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the reporting a streamflow rate of cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Nantahala River, with a gauge stage of ft at this location. This river is monitored from 1 different streamgauging stations along the Nantahala River, the highest being situated at an altitude of ft, the .

       
River Streamflow Levels
Streamgauge Streamflow Gauge Stage 24hr Change (%) % Normal Minimum (cfs) Maximum (cfs) Air Temp Elevation
Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs
USGS 03504000
200 cfs 1.45 ft -19.35
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile

The Nantahala River () is a river in western North Carolina in the United States, within the Nantahala National Forest, and near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Two-lane U.S. Highway 19/74, once part of the Trail of Tears, runs along the river, picnic areas dotting the route.
The River rises near the border of Georgia and North Carolina, close to the Southern Nantahala Wilderness and the Appalachian Trail. It empties into the Little Tennessee River at Fontana Lake.
The word Nantahala is Cherokee and means "Land of the Noonday Sun". The river runs through a narrow and steep gorge where in some areas the sun reaches the ground only when it is directly overhead during the middle of the day.