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3-day paddle fest on the Chattooga and/or nearby streams, such as the Nantahala or Ocoee.For paddlers with experience on Class III+ rivers, such as the Lower Yough. Details to be worked out based on water levels and other factors closer to the time of the trip. Coordinated by David “Cotton” Cottingham and Hugh Hilliard, who paddled these rivers many years ago but not recently. Some scouting will be required, and there will be options to portage some rapids (e.g., Bull Sluice, Woodall Shoals).

We tentatively plan to paddle Chattooga Section 3 one day and Section 3-1/2 (starts midway down section 3 and goes several miles into section 4 taking out at Woodall Shoals) another. We will decide where to paddle the third day based on interest of the group, weather, and water levels, and may adjust the first two days depending on conditions.


The Chattooga is a classic southeastern whitewater river that flows out of NC and forms part of the boundary between SC and GA. Deliverance was filmed there and made the river and whitewater paddling famous. It’s a wild and scenic river with spectacular forested shores in National Forests and few access points.


It has 3 sections that most people paddle known as Sections 2, 3, and 4. Rapids range from Class II in Section 2 to Class Vs in Section 4. Section 3 is a 13-mile stretch of mostly Class III rapids with several Class IV drops. Section 3 is similar in difficulty to the Lower Yough.


Here are the AW links to different Chattooga sections:
· Section 2 -- https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/477/main

· Section 3 -- https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/475/main

· Section 4 -- https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/476/main