Youngsters who complete 22 miles of canoe trails in six Georgia state parks are enroled n the Georgia State Parks Park Paddlers Club and receive a t-shirt recognizing their accomplishment.

A good way to introduce youngsters to the pleasures of canoeing and kayaking and to create memorable family experiences on Georgia’s rivers, streams and lakes is described in the “Park Paddlers Club” post in the Georgia Rivers, Streams and Lakes blog this week.

Paddlers who complete 22 miles of paddling on six state park canoe trails, including one in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and one on the Georgia coast at Crooked River State Park in St. Marys, are enrolled in the Georgia State Parks Paddlers Club and receive a t-shirt in recognition of their accomplishment.

Links:

• Read more about Georgia State Parks Park Paddlers Club.

Georgia > Northeast > Rabun > Clayton 

By SUZANNE WELANDER

The West Fork of the Chattooga provides four miles of Class I and II paddling suitable for bagging canoeist or as a entry path to Section II of the river.

Protected within the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River Area, the West Fork contains four miles of extremely scenic canoeing for the novice and can be used as an intimate launching pad for a longer trip into Section II of the Chattooga. The river is formed by the unusual symmetrical junction of three creeks: Overflow, Big and Holcomb. For those interested in visiting the headwaters in addition to the tailwaters, the Three Forks hiking trail to this point is found farther up the same road as the put-in. The camping is good, inviting multiple-day trips within the area.

TRIP SUMMARY:  A 4-mile paddle from Overflow Creek Road to where the West Fork joins the main channel of the Chattooga River. Scenic canoeing suitable for the boating novice. Class, I-II; Length, 5.7 miles; Time, 3 hours; Level 1.0; Gradient, 10 feet per mile; Scenery, A-. VIEW MAP.

DESCRIPTION: The river is a popular one for trout fishing and provides one of the best opportunities on the Chattooga to both canoe and fish on the same trip. If floating by a fishing party, minimize any disruption by passing quietly.

The West Fork’s rapids are mostly Class I, but two rapids are designated Class II. The first of these is formed by the remains of an old dam, 1 mile below Warwoman Road. The other Class II, Big Slide, is 1.5 miles below the old dam and less than 0.5 mile above the confluence with the main Chattooga.

The most frequently used put-in is at the U.S. Forest Service campground, less than a mile from Warwoman Road. Ample parking is available there , and the carry to the river is short. Take-out either at the GA 28 Russell Bridge, 0.2 mile upstream on the main Chattooga, or drift downstream to the Long Bottom Ford take-out on the river left. There is no direct road access at the confluence of the West Fork and the main Chattooga.

SHUTTLE: From US 442 in Clayton, turn east on Rickman Street and then right onto Warwoman Road. Take Warwoman Road 13.4 miles to the river; turn left onto Overflow Creek Road on the far side of the bridge. Potential put-in locations on Overflow Creek Road are 0.9 mile ahead at the U.S. Forest Service campground (primitive camping is available here), or an additional 0.4 mile above that, where the road crosses the river.

GAUGE: There is a gauge in the river upstream of the Overflow Creek Road Bridge across the West Fork. The recommended minimum level for running the West Fork of the Chattooga is 1.0 feet.

MAPS: USGS, Satolah; County, Rabun

Links:

• Read Suzanne Welander’s guide to canoeing Sections II, III and IV of the Chattooga.
• Read Claude Terry’s guide to Sections II, III and IV of the Chattooga.
• Read Doug Woodward’s account of the filming of “Deliverance” on the Chattooga.

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.