Paddling is one of those activities that Georgia does quietly well. You don’t hear about it the way you hear about the hiking or the mountain biking, but once you get out on the water up here — on a clear mountain river in the morning before the heat builds, or across an aquamarine lake surrounded by national forest — you understand why people come back to it again and again.
I’ve spent a lot of time on North Georgia’s rivers and lakes, and here’s my honest take on the best places to paddle and what each one offers.
The Toccoa River — My Favorite Easy Float
The Toccoa River runs through Fannin County near Blue Ridge, and it’s the paddling I recommend most to people new to kayaking or anyone who just wants a beautiful, relaxed time on the water. The main float from Deep Hole Recreation Area to Sandy Bottoms is about 13.8 miles — you can do it as a half-day trip or take your time and make it a full day.
The water is Class I to Class II, which means it moves and has some energy but isn’t going to flip you if you’re paying attention. The scenery is exceptional — you’re moving through the Blue Ridge foothills with forest on both sides, occasional wildlife, clear water over river rocks. It’s the kind of float where you stop talking and just watch what’s around you.
The Toccoa River Outfitter is set up well for this — rentals, shuttles, the whole operation. If you’re doing it on your own, put in at Deep Hole (off GA-60 south of Blue Ridge) and take out at Sandy Bottoms. Spring gives you higher water and better flow; summer is excellent for the heat relief.
The Cartecay River — The Ellijay Local Favorite
The Cartecay runs near Ellijay on Highway 52, and it’s a river with a split personality depending on which section you’re on. The upper stretches are calm and flatwater-friendly — great for beginners or families. Further downstream it picks up with some genuine rapids that make it interesting for intermediate paddlers.
Cartecay River Experience at 2400 Highway 52 rents kayaks and tubes and runs guided trips through the summer season (Memorial Day through Labor Day). It’s set up well and the guides know the river. The Cartecay is also popular as a combination trip — some people kayak and some tube on the same float, which works fine on the gentler sections.
The river runs through some beautiful Gilmer County farmland and forest. It’s less known than the Chattahoochee sections closer to Atlanta, which means it’s also quieter. If you’re spending a weekend in the Ellijay area for mountain biking or hiking, add a Cartecay float and you’ve built a near-perfect outdoor weekend.
The Chattahoochee — 40 Miles of Options
The Chattahoochee River gets talked about a lot — and it deserves it. There are 17 access points along the upper Chattahoochee National Water Trail, covering 40 miles of river above Lake Lanier. The difficulty varies dramatically by section, from gentle flatwater floats to Class II and III whitewater depending on dam release schedules.
Wildwood Outfitters (13 miles south of Helen) has been operating since 1972 and offers kayaking, rafting, and canoe trips on the upper Chattahoochee. The NOC location in Roswell handles the middle sections well for metro-area paddlers. If you’re based in Atlanta and want to paddle without making a two-hour drive, the Roswell sections of the Chattahoochee are accessible and genuinely fun.
The key variable is water releases from Buford Dam. Check release schedules before you go — they affect water levels significantly and determine whether certain sections are runnable.
Lake Blue Ridge — Flat Water in the Mountains
Lake Blue Ridge is in a different category from river paddling — it’s a 3,290-acre mountain lake with 60+ miles of shoreline, and roughly 80% of that shoreline is Chattahoochee National Forest land. What that means practically is that you can paddle for hours and feel genuinely remote even though you’re only two hours from Atlanta.
The color of the water here is one of those things that doesn’t fully come across in photos — aquamarine and clear in a way that makes it look like somewhere in Montana. You can kayak loops from Morganton Point without needing a shuttle, which makes it much easier to plan. Lake Blue Ridge Marina and Lake Blue Ridge Outfitters both offer kayak and SUP rentals seasonally.
If you want to combine paddling and camping, Morganton Point Campground is the only developed campground on the lake and it’s excellent — tent sites, RV hookups, showers, fire rings, right on the water. Book early for summer weekends.
Unicoi Lake in Helen — Perfect for Beginners
If you’re introducing someone to paddling for the first time — kids, family, friends who’ve never been on the water — Unicoi State Park near Helen is the ideal setting. The lake is 44 acres, completely calm (no motorized boats), and surrounded by forest. Kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats are available to rent daily from 10am to 5pm during the season (Memorial Day through Labor Day).
It’s a 45-minute experience rather than a half-day adventure, but that’s the point. You can paddle Unicoi, walk to Anna Ruby Falls, and have lunch in Helen all in the same morning. For people who are visiting North Georgia for the first time and want a sampler of what the area offers, this combination is hard to beat.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
River levels and dam releases matter more than the calendar for trip planning. Always check conditions before heading out, especially on the Chattahoochee and Toccoa. Spring tends to offer the best water volume on most rivers; summer is better for lake paddling when heat makes getting on the water a relief rather than just recreation. Life jackets are mandatory in Georgia for anyone under 13 on all waters, and honestly, everyone should wear one regardless.
Paddling is one of those activities that takes maybe five minutes to learn and a lifetime to keep exploring. North Georgia has enough variety — from lazy mountain river floats to open lake crossings — that you never really run out of new water to discover.