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Southeast States
Georgia, South Carolina, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky
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__________________________________________
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Nantahala Outdoor Center |
800-232-7238 |
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Southeastern Expeditions |
800-868-7238 |
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Wildwater, Ltd. |
800-451-9972 |
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| Sections |
III |
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Location |
Rabun County, near Clayton, northeastern Georgia; Oconee County, near Long Creek, western South Carolina |
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Driving Time |
Atlanta—2
hours; Knoxville—3 hours |
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Difficulty |
Class
II-III, IV |
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Trip Length |
5-14
miles (8-22.5 km) |
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Trip Options |
Paddle
raft; one day |
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Season |
March-early
November |
The Chattooga, one of the eastern United States' first rivers to be
protected by the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, offers 20
miles (32 km) of splendid rafting through the beautiful Sumter and
Chattahoochee national forests along the Georgia-South Carolina
border.
Rafters
have their choice between an introductory trip on the longer and
less demanding Section III and the challenging and quite technical
Section IV. It was on the remote Chattooga that most of the
whitewater scenes in the movie Deliverance were filmed.
Section III
whitewater action includes numerous Class I-II rapids, some slowly
flowing flatwater, and Class III rapids: the Narrows, Keyhole, and
Eye of the Needle. Bull Sluice, the only Class IV rapid, can either
be rafted or walked around. Section III is recommended for large
groups, first-timers, and less-experienced rafters.
The
Chattooga, like most free-flowing rivers in the eastern United
States is subject to low water levels in late summer and fall. At
low water levels, trips are sometimes shortened, and outfitters use
smaller rafts. Even this more leisurely pace provides rafters with
the opportunity to enjoy the incredible natural beauty of the
canyons with little or no visual contact with other rafting groups
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