Bee Cliff

The Bee Cliff is a prominent northeast Tennessee geological limestone feature with high caves that overlooks the Watauga River and the Siam community of Carter County, Tennessee.GeographyBee Cliff is located in northeastern Tennessee at 36.351944° North, -82.136389° West.The lower face of the Bee Cliff is across and immediately above the Watauga River from Wilbur Dam Road.The summit of the Bee Cliff is located off Blue Springs Road across the Watauga River from theWilbur Dam Road.The elevation at the Bee Cliff summit is 1968ft.Travel afloatBy travel afloat on the Watauga River, the Bee Cliff is located approximately 10 to 15 minutes downstream from the Tennessee Valley Authority Wilbur and Watauga dams and approximately one hour and forty-five minutes upstream of the city of Elizabethton, Tennessee.For whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Watauga River, the most popular Carter County "put-in" for whitewater rafting is found immediately downstream of the Wilbur Dam and the most popular "take-out" is found approximately 2 to 2½ hours downstream (depending upon the volume of the reservoir release and other factors) at the Blackbottom riverside portion of the linear trail in Elizabethton. While floating downstream "straight shot" on the Watauga River, you can reference several local landmarks in order to estimate your length of time and distance on the river to Elizabethton: approximately thirty minutes to float downstream to the old iron bridge at the Siam community (long stretch of flat water);approximately sixty minutes to float to the first concrete bridge at the Hunter community (beginning of brief swift and punchy rapids on right bank);approximately ninety minutes to float to the concrete U.S. Highway 19E bridge and Carter Mansion(coming on fast rapids onto steep left bank) at Elizabethton, and;approximately one hundred twenty minutes (two hours) to float to the Blackbottom "take-out" in Elizabethton.The distance afloat from the put-in at Wilbur Dam to the Blackbottom take-out is approximately seven miles (11 km).