Canoe/kayak camping ideas in NW GA?

Heathern · Feb 14, 2018

Anyone done any canoe or kayak camping in NW GA? I am looking to do a 2-3 day trip, and hoping someone has done this and can give me ideas of good places to go.

I have done the boat-in camping on Carter's Lake. That was pretty decent, but I'd like something a little wilder and more involved. Not just a 2+ mile paddle to a peninsula with 10-12 campsites like that one. More like something to an island on a lake or slow moving river - it has to be an out & return, with no shuttle. NW GA only, and definitely not Lanier.

Any ideas?

SouthGa Fisher · Feb 15, 2018

If NE Georgia were an option I'd say go to Lake Tugalo at Tallulah Falls. There are campsites everywhere on the lake. No cell service, hard to get to, and you HAVE to paddle out to get to the campsites.

I camped there a while back, and it was great. I would highly recommend it.

Heathern · Feb 15, 2018

SouthGa Fisher said:
If NE Georgia were an option I'd say go to Lake Tugalo at Tallulah Falls. There are campsites everywhere on the lake. No cell service, hard to get to, and you HAVE to paddle out to get to the campsites.

I camped there a while back, and it was great. I would highly recommend it.

That would be quite a drive, but a possibility. Are you talking about padding up the gorge arm of the lake and camping there?

I have paddled the lake before, in a whitewater kayak, after kayaking Section IV of the Chattooga. 4 miles down that lake, paddling a very slow boat when I was beat after paddling that wicked whitewater. Not fun. But I have never paddled up the gorge arm of the lake, even though I have hiked down into the gorge, but not past the whitewater section. Are there places to camp in the flawater section just below the gorge, or are you talking about camping on the main section of the lake?

At least I won't be in a whitewater kayak this time. I can carry camping gear.

Heathern · Feb 15, 2018

Also, I know it's too much to ask, especially since the choices are so limited, but having relatively safe overnight parking would be a huge bonus. And also a huge bonus to not be a Corps Of Engineers lake, so that a sidearm would be legal. Impossible to have all I am looking for, I know. Just looking for the best compromise.

leoparddog · Feb 15, 2018

SouthGa Fisher said:
If NE Georgia were an option I'd say go to Lake Tugalo at Tallulah Falls. There are campsites everywhere on the lake. No cell service, hard to get to, and you HAVE to paddle out to get to the campsites.

I camped there a while back, and it was great. I would highly recommend it.

So where would you park SouthGA Fisher? Yonah lake boat ramp after launching above dam?

SouthGa Fisher · Feb 16, 2018

Heathern said:
Also, I know it's too much to ask, especially since the choices are so limited, but having relatively safe overnight parking would be a huge bonus. And also a huge bonus to not be a Corps Of Engineers lake, so that a sidearm would be legal. Impossible to have all I am looking for, I know. Just looking for the best compromise.

Most of the sites I've seen are on the main lake. But, there are a few on the Tallulah side. I love that paddle. I catch quite a few fish up that arm as well. I also know of a place that isn't cleared for a campsite but would be perfect, going up towards the falls, on the right hand side.

leoparddog said:
So where would you park SouthGA Fisher? Yonah lake boat ramp after launching above dam?

I would park at the GA ramp on Tugalo. Parked there a few times overnight to camp and never had any issues. Also, I've never put in at the dam to fish Tugalo. I'm not sure if there is access, although I've seen people at a rope swing right there close to it. If there is access there it would be a great help when I just want to fish up the Tallulah side.

I've only been up this way since mid-summer so I'm not extremely familiar with everything. I'm just sharing what I know! I certainly think it's worth the trip.

BDD · Feb 16, 2018

This is a great 2 day trip or at least it was 10 years ago, a lot more development
On the river now. Toccoa River Blue Hole State part to Toccoa Camp ground, itâ€™s
About 11 miles if I remember correctly. About ½ way down you enter the National Forest
And there are several great camp sites. And another great thing is you can get (or at least we did)
The owner of Toccoa Camp ground to take you up and drop you off, or in our case drive your truck
Back to the camp ground. This is a great feature because you only need one vehicle, when you get to
The campground your truck is there load up and on your way. The fishing was really good also, but now
there is a section that you are not permitted to fish but can still float thru.

Heathern · Feb 16, 2018

Thanks for the advice, so far.

Tugaloo sounds great, and would be my first choice, but that's a very long drive for me.

The Toccoa is much, much closer. I have paddled that section a long time ago. Actually from Deep Hole all the way to the lake, with a grueling 4WD takeout. I had 6 boats on the roof rack, and 5 people inside my old Isuzu Trooper back then. It used every bit of tire grip and every last bit of power that weak engine could muster to get us all out of there.

Good to know someone could run shuttle for me on the Toccoa. Very pretty scenery there too. I will probably do that trip.

SouthGa Fisher · Feb 16, 2018

I think you've inspired me to go camp Tugalo tomorrow night. Ha

ripplerider · Feb 16, 2018

I can run a shuttle for you on the Toccoa if you need me to. I only live about 15 miles away, I know the river like the back of my hand. It's running pretty high right now.

Heathern · Feb 16, 2018

Thanks for the offer, ripplerider. I will probably use Toccoa Valley Campround's shuttle service, though. Because they will charge me $10 for just parking there. Might as well use their shuttle service for the same cost, since I am paying for it, either way. That looks like a nice trip length, and a relatively safe place to leave my vehicle overnight.

Yep - the river is high right now. Good for paddling and not scraping rocks. Bad for making a 2 day trip go too fast, though. And probably bad for fishing.

I will be in a SOT kayak. Gotta keep the camping gear to a minimum. I'm getting hungry now, thinking about eating freeze-dried backpacking food - lol. I know the rapids are mild, but there will be some rock-dodging and maneuvering involved, especially around the swinging bridge. Those are the only real rapids I recall from paddling that section about 20 years ago.

Artfuldodger · Feb 17, 2018

I was thinking of some rivers but you would need a shuttle service.
I"ve always thought about camping at Seed Lake Campground except that would be car camping and in NE Georgia.

Here is a link to island camping in some of the Georgia lakes on the GON forum. You may have already seen it. What about TVA lakes or Georgia Power lakes for island camping?

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=912963

BDD · Feb 17, 2018

The rapids at the swinging bridge (Toccoa ) are class 3 at high water, the give me a thrill at normal level but I'm in a canoe.

Heathern · Feb 17, 2018

BDD said:
The rapids at the swinging bridge (Toccoa ) are class 3 at high water, the give me a thrill at normal level but I'm in a canoe.

Yeah - I will wait until the river flow is down to about 350 cfs. Those rapids were a big fat nothing for a whitewater kayak when I paddled them a long time ago, but now I am old and will be in a 10' SOT kayak with a bunch of camping gear that I will be trying to keep dry.

Heathern · Feb 17, 2018

Artfuldodger said:
I was thinking of some rivers but you would need a shuttle service.
I"ve always thought about camping at Seed Lake Campground except that would be car camping and in NE Georgia.

Here is a link to island camping in some of the Georgia lakes on the GON forum. You may have already seen it. What about TVA lakes or Georgia Power lakes for island camping?

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=912963

I would like to avoid TVA as much as USACOE property. They are both federalists who don't allow people to be armed. Georgia Power would be cool, though.

Teh Wicked · Feb 19, 2018

I have fished Seed and that camp ground usually has visitors if its a nice weekend or whatever.

If I was going to camp I would do it on the Etowah or Tugalo

JBGriffith · Mar 14, 2018

The Etowah through Dawson forest could be a nice trip. There are a couple of camping spots along the way. should be pretty secluded. There is a spot beside bear foot falls thats pretty nice. Probably not a 3 day unless you camp there 2 nights.

greg_n_clayton · Mar 21, 2018

SouthGa Fisher said:
Most of the sites I've seen are on the main lake. But, there are a few on the Tallulah side. I love that paddle. I catch quite a few fish up that arm as well. I also know of a place that isn't cleared for a campsite but would be perfect, going up towards the falls, on the right hand side.

I would park at the GA ramp on Tugalo. Parked there a few times overnight to camp and never had any issues. Also, I've never put in at the dam to fish Tugalo. I'm not sure if there is access, although I've seen people at a rope swing right there close to it. If there is access there it would be a great help when I just want to fish up the Tallulah side.

I've only been up this way since mid-summer so I'm not extremely familiar with everything. I'm just sharing what I know! I certainly think it's worth the trip.

This I my favorite lake which means I have spent a lot of time on it since I was a young boy. The ramp at the dam is only used by Ga. Power. Now if ya know somebody, you can get access. There are a few campsites up in the gorge arm. My favorite one being up there in the back of a cove with a creek and a nice set of falls and a nice pool back in there. It is kinda secluded back in there, and not known by most since it is out of site kinda from the main part of lake. There is also a spot all the way up where the river enters the lake below the power house. It would be a fairly long paddle from the public landing.

Canoe/kayak camping ideas in NW GA?

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