The Elk River is a great river with a lot of recreational opportunities. It is fed by the cool water from Tim’s Ford Lake and has multiple put-in and take-out spots, starting at Tim’s Ford Dam and running all the way past Fayetteville, Tennessee. That’s over 40 river miles of pristine natural beauty! The Elk is great in late summer when many rivers are low, thanks to the flow from the dam. The river’s class 1 waters are perfect for a family spending quality time together, and for groups of friends looking for a great time. The numerous sandbars, shoals, and islands are great areas for smaller children to run, play, and explore. They provide wonderful areas for picnics, too. You can spend as much time having fun out of your boat as you do floating down the river! There are other outfitters that use the Elk, so you likely will see other groups of paddlers. This river is definitely the most popular of all the smaller waterways in the area, therefore, seclusion and isolation will be hard to find. The Elk River is also known for its trout and small mouth bass fishing. And, if one day on the river isn’t enough, the Elk offers many riverfront campsites. Taking advantage of the smaller county roads, you can be on the Elk River and having fun within an hour of leaving Huntsville.