By Suzanne Welander

From Juliette to Pope’s Ferry, a distance of approximately 9.8 miles.    View map

The Ocmulgee River. Flowing southeast below Lloyd Shoals Dam through the Piedmont, the Ocmulgee winds through steep-to-rolling hills and narrow valleys flanked by a lush wooded corridor. Shoals resume at half-mile intervals below the dam and continue all the way to the take-out.

Drought-constrained paddlers need not stay dry-docked; this section of the Ocmulgee River north of Macon is dam-fed on a somewhat predictable schedule, and offers beautiful forest scenery only occasionally interrupted by streamside development. An easy two-hour drive from Atlanta, the 9.8 mile section from Juliette to Pope’s Ferry is less fragrant than the water immediately below Lloyd Shoals dam and Lake Jackson and ends before the large Arkwright Power Plant. Forest views dominate the river corridor on this easy day trip for paddlers with Class I-II skills.

The Ocmulgee is born at the confluence of the Alcovy and South Rivers in the backwaters of Jackson Lake in Butts and Jasper Counties. Flowing southeast below Lloyd Shoals Dam through the Piedmont, the Ocmulgee winds through steep-to-rolling hills and narrow valleys flanked by a lush, wooded corridor of pine, sweet gum, hickory, willow, red maple, white oak, black oak, and beech. Rock outcroppings occasionally grace the riverside as the stream runs within well-defined red clay banks 6–14 feet high, sharply inclined between 60 and 90 degrees. Scrub vegetation is thick with diverse flora, including ferns, vines, and shrubs.

At Juliette, you must make a quarter-mile portage on the left around the Birch Dam. Shoals resume at half-mile intervals below the dam, seldom exceeding easy Class II, and continue all the way to Arkwright. The large Arkwright Power Plant signals the end of the Ocmulgee’s whitewater and the departure of the river from the Piedmont.

GAUGE: The river is generally runnable from Lake Jackson to Macon all year, subject to regular but capricious releases at Lloyd Shoals Dam. Flow volume is reported on the USGS Web site for the river at Jackson. The minimum is 400 cfs; 800 cfs is more enjoyable. The maximum is flood stage. Water released from the dam is cold, increasing the risk of hypothermia in cooler weather.

SHUTTLE: To the put-in at Juliette, take the exit #186 from I-75 and head east on Juliette Road. After crossing Birch Dam and the river, turn right onto Round Oak Juliette Road, then take another right onto Old River Road, and a final hard right turn at the sign for river access. A dirt road takes you to a parking area. To the take-out, return to Juliette Road, cross back over the river and turn left onto Highway 87. Travel approximately nine miles; turn left onto Pope’s Ferry Road, veer right at the fork and follow the road over the railroad tracks and down to the boat ramp area. View map.

This canoeing guide was adapted from A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia by Suzanne Welander, Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey. Organized efficiently by watersheds, the book contains paddling guides to over 80 Georgia streams and rivers, plus the Okefenokee Swamp and the Georgia Coast as well as a wealth of interesting and useful information about Georgia physiography and paddling in general. Order this and canoeing and kayaking guides for other states from Menasha Ridge Press.

By Suzanne Welander

From Griffin FerryRoad to GA Hwy 152 (a distance of approximately 7.1 miles) and from GA Hwy 152 to GA Hwy 292 ( a distance of approximately 6.8 miles) View map

Clear dark waters run sparkling along the Ohopee’s contrasting bottom and banks of sun-drenched white sand. This is the westernmost and northernmost “blackwater” river in Georgia, an environment often encountered on Coastal Plain streams.

What a fluke! In the deepest recesses of the 2008 winter drought, the Ohoopee River crested its banks and flooded the surrounding wetlands for two weeks running — while surrounding watersheds went lacking for rain. The resulting high water flows hid the white sand beaches this blackwater river is known for, instead making it possible to paddle around streamside second residences and sneak through inundated forest shortcuts that opened up on the inside curve of the river’s oxbows. We paddled these uppermost sections of the river for two consecutive weeks, using an unflappable taxi service out of Reidsville to complete the shuttle.

Burgundy-red waters run clear and sparkling over the contrasting bottom and banks of sun-drenched white sand on the Ohoopee. A tributary of the Altamaha River, it is the western and northernmost river sporting this Coastal Plain combination. A shading canopy of moss-draped cypress and hardwoods combines with the Ohoopee’s natural tranquility and remote, pristine setting to set it apart as a showplace of nature and one of the most exotic and beautiful streams in southern Georgia.

DESCRIPTION: Wildlife is varied and plentiful throughout the wide bottomland swamp corridor that cradles the Ohoopee along its serpentine course. Small islands, meandering by-passes, and oxbows are not uncommon, particularly in the reaches below Pendelton
Creek. The current is moderate throughout, and the level of difficulty is Class I, with sharp bends and trees growing in the stream keeping it interesting. Runnable except during dry periods downstream of the US 1 bridge in Emanuel County, the stream’s width ranges from 30 to 45 feet, widens to between 50 and 65 feet at GA 292 west of Collins, and culminates at 80 feet as it approaches the Altamaha. Hazards consist primarily of occasional deadfalls and a dam that must be portaged above the GA 56 bridge outside Reidsville (G). Numerous white sandbars and beaches lend themselves to swimming, picnicking, and canoe-camping. The banks, also of white sand, are 2–4 feet high and slope at approximately 30–45 degrees. The surrounding terrain is mixed lowland swamp forests of bald cypress, willow, pond cypress, swamp black gum, Ogeechee lime, ash, red maple, water oak, and sweet bay, rising gradually to a low upland plateau.

GAUGE: Using USGS Web site data for the gauge at Reidsville, the minimum is 190 cfs, and the maximum up to high flood stage. The Metter Game and Fish office, at (912) 685-2145, can provide more information.

SHUTTLE: From I-16, exit #90 for US1 between Macon and Savannah, and head south. Stay on GA Hwy 86 as US1 forks to the right. Turn left onto Griffin Ferry Road and proceed to the first put-in. To drive to other access points, return to GA Hwy 86 and turn left, then turn left at either GA Hwy 152 or GA Hwy 292. View map.

This canoeing guide was adapted from A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia, by Suzanne Welander, Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey. Organized efficiently by watersheds, the book contains paddling guides to over 80 Georgia streams and rivers, plus the Okefenokee Swamp and the Georgia Coast, as well as a wealth of interesting and useful information about Georgia physiography and paddling in general. Order this and canoeing and kayaking guides from other states from Menasha Ridge Press.

By Suzanne Welander, Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey

From Amicalola Church Road (also known as “Six-Mile”) to Steele Bridge Road, a distance of approximately 3.7 miles. View Map

The Amicalola gets its name from the Cherokee phrase for “tumbling water.” It’s called a creek on most maps, but if it is merely a creek, it is an awesome one. The scenery is spectacular, and the rapids sometimes stupendous.

Only have a short afternoon available and want to get a quick and mild whitewater run in near Atlanta? Try the upper sections of Amicalola Creek. As with the famed lower section, the two 3-mile sections of river above GA Highway 53 feel surprisingly remote, courtesy of the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area that straddles the creek. Hemlock-lined banks shield the deeper recesses of the bordering forest. The Class II rapids above Steele Bridge Road tend to be sharper drops; downstream of the road, the character changes as the river widens and the rapids lengthen, retaining their Class II difficulty. The scenery is beautiful, even if the water quality isn’t; upstream poultry houses and runoff entering with Cochran Creek muddies the waters of an otherwise pristine run.

The Amicalola gets its name from the Cherokee phrase for tumbling water. It’s called a creek on most maps, but if it is merely a creek, it is an awesome one. The scenery is spectacular, and the rapids are sometimes stupendous. It is hard to describe this stream without superlatives, so if it is really just a creek, it is simply the best whitewater creek in the state. Located entirely in Dawson County, its upper east fork, Little Amicalola Creek, contains the famous Amicalola Falls.

DESCRIPTION: For the most part, the first 4.3 miles of the upper section from Goshen Church Road (A) to the campground off of Amicalola Church Road (B) provide easy floating, quiet beauty, and a few small rapids. The put-in at Goshen Church Road is surrounded by private property. Please be extremely courteous and respectful of the rights of landowners in this area. Note that with sufficient water (over 1.0 foot), a wilderness run through 5 miles of Class I–II rapids, with one Class III at an abandoned mill, opens up above this section.

The access point at the campground (B) is commonly called “6-mile” in reference to the 6 miles of river between there and GA 53 (D). Downstream of the campground, the stream turns east and comes to a shallow and rocky series of Class II ledges. Tornado activity from 2002—not the first tornado to upend trees into the river corridor—is evident in this section; watch for deadfall as the stream may be partially to completely obstructed. In mid-run, Cochrane Creek enters on the left and increases the stream volume considerably. In the next half mile are three good rapids that may require scouting. The first is a wide, 5-foot ledge. Look for a little chute into a pool just left of the downstream island. The next rapid is more complex; from a right-side approach several routes are possible. The third rapid is a 3.5-foot ledge that can be sneaked through on the extreme right; the main route left of center can be a boat buster. The remaining miles to Steele Bridge Road provide easy floating.

SHUTTLE: From Dawsonville, take GA 53 west; turn right onto Sweetwater-Juno Road before reaching the river. Continue two miles to a left turn onto Steele Bridge Road and follow the road to the take-out for this section at the bridge. To reach the put-in, continue on Steele Bridge Road west of the river. Turn right at the stop sign onto Amicalola Church Road. The six-mile put-in is ahead on the right; watch for the recreation area signage. View map.

GAUGE: The staff gauge is located at GA 53 in the pool upstream of the bridge on the river’s left side. An enjoyable minimum for this section is 0.8, though the river is runnable below this level, particularly between 6-mile and Steele Bridge for boaters who don’t mind the practice dodging rocks. The maximum is 2.5 feet for open boats, 3.5 feet for decked.

This canoeing guide was adapted from A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia, by Suzanne Welander, Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey. Organized efficiently by watersheds, the book contains paddling guides to over 80 Georgia streams and rivers, plus the Okefenokee Swamp and the Georgia Coast, as well as a wealth of interesting and useful information about Georgia physiography and paddling in general. Order this and canoeing and kayaking guides for other states from Menasha Ridge Press.