Whitewater Raft the Chattooga for an Adventurous Summer Vacation!

// April 22nd, 2009 // Adventure Vacations, Georgia, White water rafting

Chattooga River 7 ft Falls Rapid Class IV #1

Chattooga River 7 ft Falls Rapid Class IV #2

Ever since my son was two years old, he liked to fantasize that he was falling off the bed into whatever his imagination could come up with (pool of sharks, pool of alligators, etc.) He would always yell “Moma SAVE me!!” As any mother would do, I would always have to run into the bedroom and act out the drama “I will save you! Hold onto my hand and I will pull you back up!”

Chattooga River 7 ft Falls Rapid Class IV #3

Well on our trip down the Chattooga in the Summer of 2006, his fantasy came true. He was 10 years old. After having such a good time last summer on the Nantahala River, we decided to step it up a notch and try some of the rivers with that were still “Family rated” but had some Class IV rapids. The Chattooga River was the highlight of our trip. The Nantahala Outdoor Center happened to have an outpost in South Carolina right on the river. Their guides have always made me feel like we are in good hands and had become my rafting company of choice for this summers excursions.

The trip started right off with excitement as we warmed up on a couple of class III rapids. “Paddle Forward, Paddle Back, Paddle left, Lean right….No! Your other right!…” were the commands our little crew were trying to master. Our crew consisted of myself, my son, a father and his 10 yr old son and our trusty rafting guide. As we sat in a line of 6 rafts waiting our turn, the guide instructed us how to get over the next rapid. He said when I yell “Lean right.. you have to lean real hard!” We gleamed with anticipation as we heard screams and laughter from the rafts in front of us!

Here we go…nice drop..the guide screams “Lean Right”…Travis..you are leaning the wrong way..oh no…you are falling out!…if his father hears about this I will never be able to take him on another crazy adventure trip again!..I grabbed his arm with my left hand and pulled with everything I had….”if he is going in..I am going in with him!” were my thoughts….finally he is coming back up…”Honey, I saved you!”…as we laughed.

Chattooga River 7 ft Falls Rapid - Safe At Last!

Well it turns out that we had one of the less exciting moments over 7 ft falls. When we viewed the trip photos at the end of the day we saw some people slipping out of the raft with feet in the air and tumbling out head over heals. After that rapid the river is calm and we all gather at a rock to take a nice 8 ft jump into the river. The guides also had the more daring walk on a trail behind the falls where they pushed you through. You could practice your falling-out-of-the- raft technique of curling up in a ball, riding the water, and letting the river spit you back up. It was quite fun!

Despite the rafting fun, the Chattooga is one of the most Scenic rivers in the Georgia/South Carolina area. For its beauty it chosen as filming location for the 1970′s Burt Reynolds movie classic Deliverance and it is still a protected area today. This ride is worth the TRIP!

Rafting the Chattooga River 2008

About the Author: Barbara is the owner of an on-line store Riverbanks Outdoor Store for two years and has frequently engaged in outdoor sports for years including camping, mountain biking, whitewater rating, kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking. Barbara also hosts a blog Riverbanks Adventure Forum that focuses on product reviews and adventure vacations.