A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia
- Book Review,
by Suzanne Welander
Book Description
Georgia, the largest state east of the Mississippi, has ten major river basins and an estimated 20,000 miles of streams. A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia combines and expands the information gathered in A Paddler's Guide to Southern Georgia and A Paddler's Guide to Northern Georgia, the classic paddling guides for this state for over twenty years. From the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia to the Atlantic Coast of Southeast Georgia, this redesigned and completely updated guide to paddling the creeks, rivers, and coastal waterways of Georgia covers thousands of miles of paddling that range in difficulty from scenic floats down the Oostanaula to whitewater runs of the Dog. New maps; new river profiles; completely updated contact information; and at-a-glance data that includes class, length, time, gauge, level, gradient, volume, and ratings for solitude and scenery make this guide almost as indispensable as the paddle and life jacket.
From the Back Cover
The authority on paddling the waterways of Georgia, A Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to Georgia combines A Paddler's Guide to Southern Georgia and A Paddler's Guide to Northern Georgia into one easy-to-read guide. From the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia to the Atlantic Coast of Southeast Georgia, this redesigned and completely updated guide to paddling the creeks, rivers, and coastal waterways of Georgia covers thousands of miles of paddling that range in difficulty from scenic floats down the Oostanaula to whitewater runs of the Dog. New maps, new river profiles, completely updated contact information, at-a-glance data that includes class, length, time, gauge, level, gradient, volume, and ratings for solitude and scenery make this guide almost as indispensable as the paddle and life jacket.
About the Author
Bob Sehlinger has led canoeing trips throughout eastern North America and is the former president of the Eastern Professional River Outfitters Association. He is the creator of the Unofficial Guide travel series and a recipient of the Lowell Thomas Gold Award for journalistic excellence. Founder and publisher of Menasha Ridge Press, Sehlinger lives in Birmingham, Alabama, where he enjoys mountain biking and playing the drums.
Though always in love with rivers and wilderness, it wasn't until five years ago that Suzanne Welander began canoeing in earnest. Inspired by the beauty, variety, and challenge of Georgia's rivers and streams, the former desert-dweller transformed into a whitewater canoeist and wilderness tripper. Together with her husband, she trolls the state in search of the wild and scenic beauty only accessible by waterway.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chattooga River
The Chattooga River is now and will remain one of the nation's most popular rivers. It has something for everyone: from easy water suitable for beginners to raging Class V rapids for the whitewater crazier The scenery is nothing short of spectacular for almost the entire length of the river. Its excellence rivals any river in this country.
The river flows from North Carolina to form the border between South Carolina and Georgia for approximately forty miles until it flows into Tugaloo Lake. Fortunately, the Chattooga is protected under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and is managed by the U. S. Forest Service, Sumter National Forest, South Carolina. The Forest Service divides the river into four sections according to the major access points. Section I is from Burrells Ford near the North Carolina border to the GA 28 bridge. The Forest Service regulations state that "All boating is prohibited above Highway 28," so we will not consider Section I in this book. It is open for hiking and fishing.
Section II
Section II of the Chattooga begins at the GA 28 bridge (there is easy access and parking on the Georgia side of the bridge) and continues down river to Earls Ford. This section is approximately seven miles long and is a good day trip for beginning boaters. Initially, the stream is shallow and rocky with only a slight gradient. Considerable volume is added when the West Fork of the Chattooga flows in from the right approximately 100 yards below the GA 28 bridge.
For these first few miles of Section II the Chattooga is a meandering, gentle valley stream. The valley through which it flows has a rich history. It was at one time the site of one of the largest Indian settlements in the Southeast. The settlement was called Chattooga Old Town. It became a major Indian trading center after white men came to the area. The valley was ideally suited for agriculture, and the land-lustful white men soon appropriated the valley as their own. It remained in agricultural use until recently. The Forest Service is allowing the land in its stewardship to return to a natural state. A large farm house owned by a Russell family is one of the few structures from the early agricultural period that is still standing. It lies just off the river on the South Carolina side
Buy from Amazon
Compare Prices
|
|
Home
