Bear Creek Paddling Guide
By SUZANNE WELANDER
Stairway Heaven, one of numerous Class V rapids on Bear Creek in Cloudland Canyon State Park, engulfs a boater, barely visible in the turbulence, attempting the run. Bear Creek is a run for advanced paddlers only. Be aware of the skill level required before attempting this creek. View the INTERACTIVE MAP and use “Terrain” view to see the rugged mountain landscape.
A relatively recent addition to Georgia’s steep creek portfolio, Bear plunges off the slopes of Lookout Mountain for a run through one of the gorges at Cloudland Canyon State Park. Amid the steep creek hazards of undercut boulders, tightly constricted passages, potentially ill-placed migrating wood rocky landings, and precipitous portages lies the heart of Bear: a steep, fast, ride down some of the best Class V creekwater in the state.
SUMMARY: A paddling guide to 3 miles of Class V paddling on Bear Creek in the northwest Georgia mountains from GA Hwy 189 to Canyon View Road. View the INTERACTIVE MAP. Class: V; Length, 3 miles; Time: 2.5 hours; Level 9 inches; Gradient: 270 (475); Scenery: A+
DESCRIPTION: Access at Bear Creek was for a short period denied by the state, fearing carnage and the accompanying cost of rescue. Enter American Whitewater, who negotiated passage for paddlers through the state park. There have been no recent access issues, but be well aware of the skill level required before paddling this creek. This is a run for advanced boaters only.
At the put-in, the creek barely appears worthy of its Class V rating. Beware - after a warm-up of quick and continuous Class II - III water, Bear starts to roar. No less than 14 significant drops are packed into the middle of the run as the gradient crescendos to a peak of 475 feet per mile. Technically a drop-and-pool stream, the water runs quickly from one rapid to the next. Eddies are small, making the run conducive to running from one rapid to the next without pause, if you know the lines and have confirmed that the channel is clear. The creek can be run more than once in a day.
The first significant rapid is Surrealistic Pillow (Class 5.0). Choose the far-right slot at medium levels, avoiding the under- cut and log in the main channel. Portaging is the best option when the water is low. Surrealistic kicks off a series of technical drops separated by Bear’s signature fast water. The largest - Class 5.2 Stairway to Heaven - falls 45 feet in three stages. The second stage drops 15 feet onto a bone-crushing slab of rock; back, rib, and head injuries have all occurred here. The daunting portage is in the channel on river left.
Should you need it, a trail on river left at Stairway leads up to a picnic area in the park. Turn right at the top of the hill and follow the faint path out. To minimize the risk of a misdirected and potentially cold walk through the woods, case the park before your run to get a sense of where this path ends.
After Stairway, the next significant drop is Big Bang (also Class 5.2). The portage here is a jump into the pool on river left, or run it with a boof close to the bank on river right. A few more technical rapids, including the Class 5.0 Momentary Lapse of Reason, are encountered before Daniel Creek enters from the left. A half mile hike up Daniels reveals more rapids.
Below the confluence with Daniel, Bear changes names to the less-than-poetic Sitton Gulch Creek. Technical rapids continue in quick succession, culminating in Omega, where a nasty river- left sieve swallows half the creek’s flow. The sieve isn’t difficult to avoid, unless the continuous rapids leading into it lull you into letting your guard down.
SHUTTLE: (View INTERACTIVE MAP) From I-59, take Exit 11 in Trenton for GA 136. Head east, toward the ridge, following GA 136 as it jogs to the right. Before heading up the hill, turn left and take the first right into the gravel parking lot; this is the take-out. Visually confirm adequate flow here; if it looks good, there’s sufficient water for the entire fun. To get to the put-in, continue up the hill on GA 136. Turn left at the flashing yellow light, cross Daniel Creek, and pass the entrance to the park on the left. Turn left onto GA 189; parking is on the left before crossing the creek.
GAUGE: A gauge is painted on the river-right, downstream side of the bridge at the put-in. The absolute minimum is 9 inches; 1 foot is optimal, and 18 inches a healthy maximum. A USGS gauge is located on Lookout Creek at New England, a short distance downstream of the confluence with Sitton Gulch. Recom mended levels using this gauge are unknown.
MAPS: Durham (USGS); Dade (County)
A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia is a compilation of paddling guides 
to over 80 Georgia streams and rivers, plus the Okefenokee Swamp and Georgia Coast, published by Menasha Ridge Press since 1982. Originally written by Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey, it has been extensively revised and updated by Suzanne Welander. Organized efficiently by watersheds, the book contains a wealth of interesting and useful information about Georgia physiography and paddling, in general, as well as the authoritative paddling guides. To purchase a copy of A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia, a book every paddler of Georgia streams should have in their library (and boat), and to see over 75 other outdoor guides published by Menasha, visit the Menasha Ridge Press website.
Tags: bear creek, class v rapids, cloudland, expert only