Over the last 11 years, I’ve rafted, kayaked and backpacked along the Chattooga River in northern Georgia and South Carolina. The Chattooga is known for its whitewater and for its role in the movie Deliverance filmed along the river in the 1970s.
In 1974, the 57-mile Chattooga River was declared a National Wild and Scenic River. No motorized vehicles are allowed within a ¼-mile of the river, which means you get to haul your boat at least that far to the river to put-in. To read more about the area surrounding the Chattooga, click HERE.
Rafters running Raven Chute
The holes in the rock near Raven Chute lead directly into the river below.
The Wild and Scenic status of the river means there is no development along its banks. Beautiful!
The rapids along the Chattooga make it a favorite of adrenaline junkie paddlers. Photo by Brian Wiggins.
If you go: I’ve had very good experiences with Southeastern Expeditions for both kayaking and rafting. They know this river intimately and their guides are experienced.
For backpacking, the Chattooga River Trail is a great hike. The Bartram Trail and the Chattooga River Trail combine for a portion of the hike. I heard that a decent trail map was about to be released covering this area. For my last backpacking trip I used a river map most of the way because it showed the trail better than anything else I could find.
About Erika Wiggins
That last picture is righteous. They are all beautiful though.
Thanks Ted, my son took that photo. Not bad for a disposable camera.
Great shots Erika! Love that cars can’t park nearby. Gonna have to go up there and do some kayaking sometime. Would be a much different experience than my experiences recently on the nearby Chattahoochee River, very calm.
I highly recommend checking it out. Ive paddled this river several times and always found the natural landscape refreshing.