In the upper sections, both forks are runnable. The South Fork is partially spring fed and can be run from late October through June downstream of the Beechville Road Ford. The East Fork can be run from late fall through the spring below the Mell-Cork Road bridge. Both of the forks are intimate and scenic, running between steep hills over rock and mud bottoms. Both forks average 30 to 40 feet in width.
Access is good and navigational hazards are limited to deadfalls.
Banks are 20 feet high here and are generally steep. As the Little Barren approaches its mouth at the Green River, sandbars become more numerous and the steeper terrain of southern Green and northern Metcalfe counties gives way to more gently rolling farm and woodland. Deadfalls are the primary hazards to navigation. Travel The Nolin River winds out of the hilly farm country of Hardin County and flows south along the Grayson-Hart county line to empty into Nolin River Lake. Below the Nolin Dam in Edmonson County, the Nolin River continues south to its confluence with the Green River in Mammoth Cave National Park.