Class II-III Tuckasegee River, NC

The Tuckasegee, known as the “Tuck,” originates around Cashiers and runs through Sylva, Dillsboro and Bryson City on its way to Fontana Lake. The name Tuckasegee may be an anglicisation of the Cherokee language word [daksiyi—takhšiyi] in the local Cherokee variety—‘Turtle Place.’ The river is dotted with stone fishing weirs built by Native Americans; this practice may have preceded the Cherokee in the area. The weirs are most easily viewed when water levels are low. (Source: Smoky Mountain Blueways)