Chestatee River in Georgia

Trip Overview

A relaxing paddle on a wonderful early Fall afternoon (temp. mid 70's, skies clear, kayak used - Perception Montour 11 ft. w/ skeg). Started at Appalachian Outfitters in Dahlonega, Georgia about 3:30 PM. The trip is said to take about 2 and 1/2 hours but it only took me 1 hour and forty five min. at a casual pace.

The river was low, just as the guys told me at the outfitters. I only gently scrubbed my kayak on the smooth river rocks( a post trip inspection confirmed this). I had to get out and pull over a shallow spot once. Again, the outfitters said if you would "pick your path" you could, for the most part stay in your boat - correct advice.

The river is very scenic, often times canopied by hardwoods. I would say it is aprox. 75- 100 ft wide most of the time. Several rock cliffs can be seen. ALWAYS sounds of scurrying beaver, turtles, and duck looking for privacy from a surprise visitor(ME!). The river is very gentle, even for a novice river runner (OK it's more of a jog!). Perhaps 3 or 4 short rapids that can be handled easily and "lined-up" by even someone with little experience.

You could easily make this trip a little longer. Add lunch, rest breaks, more sight seeing, more floating less paddling, you get the point. I used the outfitters shuttle service for transportation. Just give them a call (for info. see below).

This would be THE PLACE to see the leaves in a few weeks. See the folks at Appalachian Outfitters about this - they have a plan.

Accommodations:

Appalachian Outfitters - (706) 864-7117. Very nice people (it's a southern thing). Restrooms, small shop.

Fees:

I paid $10.00 for shuttle only, I believe a fair price.

Directions:

GA 400 north. At it's dead end turn left onto Ga 60. The outfitter is on the left about 2-3 miles down the road.

Resources:

A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia. You can find it at....Paddling.net, I did not use it for this trip but it's a great book if you plan to get on the water in Georgia.
This outfitter has a good website, lots of information - Appalachian Outfitters.com