South Carolina whitewater - Chattooga River, Blue Ridge Mountains, Rabun GA / Oconee SC County

Rabun GA / Oconee SC county, Highway 28 Putin to Earl's Ford section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II     7 miles
 
We run it in 17 ft canoes and Big Shoals is the only class 3 rapid. You will have to portage your boat 1/2 mile uphill at Earls ford take out on the SC side of the river. On Low Water Bridge Rd of Hwy 28 there are about 10 primative campsites beside the river, excellant camping and trout fishing but sometimes rowdy(more than likely they are related to me) lol. Says Donald Morton

The put-in location is a short drive from Seneca, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. The beautiful scenery of South
    Carolina and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water will make you feel great. The beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a great plus for this river. And of course, there are campgrounds nearby. Getting a good workout and just being out on the river for a while will have you
coming back for more. This section is long enough to enjoy a good non stop paddle, suitable for an afternoon trip. Since you're on this site you are probably into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way there are lots of good places for that around here. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but do book a room before you come because it is a very popular destination. This section of Chattooga River is 7 miles long and is according to American Whitewater a class II section of whitewater. Whitewater  
rafting and kayaking in this state is often easier than elsewhere, so better not forget that many of the sections here are safe for beginners. This river system is full of great paddling stretches, the Highway 28 Putin to Earl's Ford stretch is just one of them.

Briefly about the general area:
A journey to Chattooga River wouldn't be complete without taking a look at Big Shoals, and while you're here you can take a hike along the Three Forks Trail. Not enough hours in a day to enjoy the Blue Ridge Mountains. Big Shoals is near Chattooga River and is definitely a great place to visit, and you can have a fine hiking adventure along the Burrells Ford Trail. Through the long summer days at Chattooga River highs are generally in the 80's. When the night sets in temperatures drop down into the 50's. Throughout the wintertime highs are generally in the 40's while the cold winter nights at Chattooga River are in the 20's.
Chattooga River sees pretty high levels of precipitation; March is the month that gets the most rain, and the driest of the months is July. This is such a great river.

Chattooga River, Highway 28 Putin to Earl's Ford road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II
Length: 7 miles
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 34.91999
Longitude: -83.17

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 34.87939
Longitude: -83.2286

Paddler input for Chattooga River, South Carolina:

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Current weather conditions at Chattooga River, Blue Ridge Mountains, South Carolina
WXPort

Local climate location: COWEETA EXP STATION 8 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Old Edwards Inn and Spa, Highlands
9 miles away
Where four mountain roads converge in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains lies the quaint village of Highlands, North Carolina. Surrounded by evergreen and rhododendron forests, this is the ideal ...

The Inn at Half Mile Farm, Highlands
9 miles away
The Inn is situated on fourteen acres with wooded walking paths, two stocked fishing ponds and a six acre lake. The courtyard and grounds are beautifully landscaped. Relax on the patio or front porch ...

Holiday Inn Express Dillard, Ga, Dillard
14 miles away
The Holiday Inn Express Dillard Hotel is a quality excellence award winning hotel. We are centrally located to Highlands, NC, Helen, GA, Cherokee NC, and the NE GA Mountians.We are the only Hotel in D...



OTHER_INFO
  Blue Ridge Mountains Whitewater
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Blue Ridge Mountains Outdoors Info
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All South Carolina Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in South Carolina.
Books about whitewater paddling on Chattooga River, South Carolina
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Chattooga River, South Carolina.
Find a whitewater outfitter in South Carolina

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Seneca, South Carolina
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Seneca, South Carolina, the metro area neareast to Chattooga River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Chattooga River.
 Whitewater Near Chattooga River:
Chattooga River, Rabun GA / Oconee SC County , 0 miles away, Class II - 7 miles long (Highway 28 Putin to Earl's Ford)
Chattooga River - West Fork, Rabun County , 2 miles away, Class I-II - 5 miles long (Overflow Creek Road Bridge to Highway 28 Boater's Access)
Chattooga River, Rabun GA / Oconee SC County , 3 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 13 miles long (Earls Ford to Route 76 Bridge)
Chattooga River, Rabun GA / Oconee SC County , 3 miles away, Class II-III+(IV) - 13 miles long (Earls Ford to Route 76 Bridge)
Warwoman Creek, Rabun County , 4 miles away, Class II-III - 7.2 miles long (Earl's Ford Road to Chattooga River)
Whetstone Creek, Oconee County , 4 miles away, Class II-III(V) - 1.5 miles long (Sandy Ford Access Road to Sandy Ford)
Holcombe Creek, Rabun County , 4 miles away, Class IV-V+ - 1.9 miles long (FS Road 86B bridge to Three Forks of West Fork Chattooga)
Big Creek, Rabun County , 4 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 2 miles long (Highway 28 to Overflow Creek)
Chauga River, Oconee County , 4 miles away, Class II-III(IV) - 3 miles long (Verner Mill Road to Blackwell Bridge)
Overflow Creek, Rabun County , 4 miles away, Class IV-V(V+) - 5 miles long (USFS Road 86B to Overflow Creek Road Bridge)
 Ski Areas Near Chattooga River:
Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 10 miles away, 225 vertical feet
Sky Valley, Georgia , 12 miles away, 210 vertical feet
Cataloochee, North Carolina , 38 miles away, 740 vertical feet
Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 52 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 76 miles away, 700 vertical feet
Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 116 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
Ski Beech, North Carolina , 117 miles away, 830 vertical feet
Hawksnest, North Carolina , 118 miles away, 619 vertical feet
Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 128 miles away, 365 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Chattooga River:
Old Edwards Inn and Spa, Highlands , 9 miles away
The Inn at Half Mile Farm, Highlands , 9 miles away
Holiday Inn Express Dillard, Ga, Dillard , 14 miles away
Clayton-Days Inn, Clayton , 14 miles away
Knights Inn Dillard, Dillard , 14 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Chattooga River:
Camp Chatuga, Mountain Rest, 4 miles away
Cassidy Bridge Campground, Oconee County, 7 miles away
Blue Valley Campground, Macon County, 7 miles away
 Trails Near Chattooga River:
Burrells Ford Trail, Rabun County , 3 miles away
Three Forks Trail, Rabun County , 5 miles away
Chattooga Trail, Rabun County , 5 miles away
Ellicott Rock Trail, Macon County , 8 miles away
Winding Stairs Trail, Oconee County , 8 miles away
 National Parks Near Chattooga River:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 51 miles away
Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 59 miles away
 Lakes Near Chattooga River

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Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater