I've been asked a few times about paddling on Little River in Blount County outside the National Park below Townsend. There are basically three sections you can paddle. Here's a guide...

Upper:

Put in at the Perry's Mill dam in Walland. There's a TWRA parking/access area on 321 just below the dam {35.748836, -83.836934). Float to River John's. You can park there for a fee. The float is about 7.5 miles, with a few mild rapids. It takes about three hours. There's current for most of it, with a little paddling the last half mile or so before River John's.

Middle:

Put in at River John's (parking for a fee, call ahead), float to the takeout at the Alcoa Water Plant off Sam Houston School Rd (35.808602, -83.927945). I only recently learned about this takeout, and we floated it for the first time last week. This is probably my new favorite part of the river to paddle. There are only a few easy rapids and there's current most of the way so not too much paddling. There's one place where if you go to the left a cross current will slam you into a rocky bank with overhanging limbs. Not fun. I will try to remember to go to the right next time. Also, go to the left of Brakebill Island. A tree fall is blocking the right side. There's room to park a few cars at the Alcoa Water Plant takeout and there's a well maintained boat ramp. Look for a big concrete water tower on the left coming down the river and take the left fork at the next island to get to the takeout. The water is fast through there, so pay attention and be ready. This is about a 4.75 mile float and takes about two hours. You could combine the upper and middle and eliminate River John's for an all day paddle.

Note: There are no takeouts on Little River past the water plant and before the Rockford Dam. There is no portage at the dam and it is extremely dangerous. Don't go down there.

Lower:

Put in at the Roddy Branch boat launch off Maryville Pike (35.848461, -83.941946), paddle to either the boat ramp at Stock Creek off Maryville Pike (35.871518, -83.943826) to the right, or take a left under Alcoa Highway to the TVA boat ramp on Topside Road (35.859362, -83.976581). Either way this is flat water (where Little River becomes part of the Fort Loudoun impoundment) and you will paddle the entire way. The Roddy Branch to Topside Road float is about 4.25 miles and takes about two hours. Going to Stock Creek is about 3 miles and is an easier paddle. Once you get there, you can also go under the bridge at Stock Creek and go up Stock Creek for an extended paddle when the lake is at full pool. The advantage of taking out at Stock Creek is that it's a very short drive back up Maryvile Pike to the Roddy Branch put in.

Note: For all of these floats, optimal water level is probably around 200cfs to 300cfs as measured at Townsend. Much less and you might be dragging your boat some, much more and it might be a little rough in places. You can check the latest gauge reading at Little River Outfitters or at the USGS streamflow website.

Map locations:

Perry's Mill dam Walland put in
River John's
Alcoa Water plant takeout
Roddy Branch boat ramp
Topside Rd. boat ramp
Stock Creek boat ramp

See Also: River John's website

Bonus: Here is the Little River Watershed Assoc. Blueway Map with a lot of great info. It was prepared with the help of Kim Trevathan, a Maryville College professor who has paddled the entire Tennessee River twice, once in each direction, and wrote a book about the first trip.