Big Panther Creek, GA

John Mcrae in AFTP

John Mcrae in AFTP
Photo of John by Alex Harvey, BPC taken 6/7/2003

River Description

Gauge Description:

This one doesn't run very much due to a small drainage. It takes a lot of water and falls quickly. Usually flashes if the Chattooga is well over three feet.

Best gauge for this is the small white pipe directly upstream of the small bridge entering the put in parking lot. About 8" below the pipe should be considered minimum and 4" below is very fun. Higher water will make things more fun downstream but make for some pushy water in places filled with logjams and strainers. Be careful at high water on this one, especially in the upper stretch that has the most wood.

River Description:

On June 7, 2003, Alex Harvey organized a trip down Big Panther that included Will Van De Berg, John (Crusty) McRae, and Drew Dekle. The following is a brief report of what we found.

This is a great (but chockfull of wood and rhodo) run that is surprisingly different in character than the nearby Tallulah Gorge. The upper section of the run, which is basically above the small bridge on the hiking trail, is very tight and low volume with endless strainers, logjams and heavy rhododenron coverage. You will do a bunch of hard charging through rhodo clumps while running class 3 and 4 rapids in this stretch of water. There is one multi part class 5 rapid in this upper stretch that needs logs removed from the first section to make it runnable (last run on 6/7/03 and it was jammed up with logs), but the bottom section of the rapid was runnable by catching eddy on far river left at bottom and ferrying out in front of a small log infested undercut. This drop is recognized by the distinct horizon line that will come up. Scout on river left. The rapid involves a bony drop over about 8' onto a rock shelf, then carves around a right turn and down into what is currently a log across the river buttressed by a serious log pincushion on far right and a riverwide log 6' or so below that. Yeeesh! If it is clear, then run it, if not, then carry and put in on river left immediately downstream of the log at the bottom and run the second section of the rapid.

After running past the bridge, another creek comes in from left and adds to the volume and the creek broadens out a bit, in time for a series of drops (III+/IV-) at the site of some large boulders on river left and right. Run this either down the center or river left. Further down, you will need to get out (on right) at the VERY distinct horizon line and look at Big Panther Falls. The upper section of the falls looks runnable, but feeds dangerously into the main drop of about 50'. We walked the whole lot out of prudence the upper is definitely runnable and perhaps depending on water level, the big drop might be doable too. Heath Miller has now run the falls.

Beneath the big drop, the bottom of the creek drops out for several miles and gives up great class 5 and 4+ rapids, with slides, boofs and multi-staged drops abounding, with one drop giving up 25-30' of elevation over a short stretch and then another drop immediately beneath it that drops another 15' or more. Further down, an awesome 10' boof awaits; Run that dead center for nice air time. Several slildes follow.

This is a very fun creek but it requires a good deal of threading your way through the wood in a many places. Give yourself more time than you think you would need for a 5.3 mile run to allow for many bushwhacking portages around hazards. Without the wood, this would be a great run for someone not yet up to the Narrows of the Green but who has done Tallulah and other easier steep stuff. The lines are all straightforward and good to go, but the constant threat of trees in the water make for more intensity than the rapids would normally call for.

PUT-IN/TAKE-OUT DIRECTIONS:

Put in at the parking area on Old Hwy 441. Paddle under the small bridge, under the road's overpass and into the run. Beware strainers that come up soon afterwards.

Take-out: From Toccoa, take Prather Bridge Road, then Yonah Dam Road until a dirt road heads up the creek. (There is a small white sign with "Church" on it at the turn for the dirt road.) Park where the road deadends at the creek. There is a trail that can be hiked upstream from here to look at the bottom of the run.