Tallulah, Georgia, US

5 - Tallulah Gorge to Lake Tugaloo (Tallulah Gorge)

Photo#883441

Photo by Chris Gorman taken 04/15/14

Gauge Information

River Description

Gauge Description:
Flows are typically 500 cfs on Saturday and 700 cfs on Sunday of release weekends.
The gage is included for those who want to check back after a run, especially for those days when a 700-cfs release was planned, but Georgia Power actually released 1000 cfs.


This is a CL IV-V run and deserves the respect and paddler responsibility associated with this rating. Follow the AW safety code and enjoy paddlin' this Southern Jewel.

Releases on the first two weekends in April and first three weekends in November.
The gorge is reputed to have a gradient better than 200 ft/mi.

Inflatable Policy for the Tallulah Gorge - Updated 2014

Volunteers needed

Tallulah Gorge State Park needs some help to manage the releases on the Tallulah.  Volunteering only takes a few hours, you can easily boat and volunteer in the same day.  If you are interested in volunteering contact Laura Dillon.

From StreamTeam Volunteer Don Kinser:
Here is the consensus list of rapid names from those discussions:
1. Last Step
2. Tanner's Launch
3. Oceana
4. Gauntlet
5. Bridal Veil
6. Zoom Flume
7. Lynch's Wrench aka Ticket Puncher
8. Amplitheater
9. Around the Corner
10. Tit
11. Tat
12. Tom's Brain Buster
13. Road to Aintry
14. Twisted Sister
15. Paddlesnake Ledge
16. Powerhouse
17. Maxwell's Last Drop
18. Damned lake

This is a river which requires Class-V skills. Most rapids can be read-and-run by V paddlers, though Oceana and some other rapids are usually scouted.

Directions: From Atlanta: take I-985 north and head for 365 north and Highway 23 and Highway 441. Tallulah Falls is located 12 miles north of Clarkesville on Highway 23-441. Just before the bridge crossing the river, take a left into the grassy field.
From the north: from Chattanooga, TN: Take I-775 north to Rte. 40 east, to US 64 east. In Franklin, head south on US Rte. 23/441 through Clayton. Tallulah Falls is 12 miles south of Clayton. Just after the bridge crosses the river, hang a right into the grassy field.
From Hendersonville, NC: Head west on US-64. Hang a left onto US-23/441, and proceed as above.

Camping: There is a campground at Tallulah Falls State Park, and Georgia Power maintains a primitive campground near the takeout at Tugalo Park.

Taking out at Tugalo Park: American Whitewater has been asked by GA State Parks and GA Power to inform the boating community that Tugalo Park take out access closes at 5:00PM. Please plan to leave the take out area by 5:00PM on all Tallulah release days. GA Power and GA Parks are also concerned about partying at the take out post paddle. Apre' paddle activities are best taken to your campsite. The paddling community has a positive relationship with GA Power and the Park, thank you for your cooperation in maintaining the partnership.

Fun facts: It's a long walk to the putin, down something like 600 steps!
After the whitewater theres about 1.5 miles of flatwater across Tugaloo Lake to the takeout at Tugalo dam. From the parking lot to the lake is about 650 vertical feet. Parking lot is 1550ish and the lake is 900. Subtract 300 or so feet in steps, and that puts the gradient at close to 300 feet a mile. If anyone can give us an exact put-in altitude, please add it in the comments section.

Thanks to the AWA boaters have had releases in Tallulah Gorge since November 1997.
John Bell's account of the first decent of Tallulah Gorge, May 1993.
Tallulah has been permit free since the November 2001 Releases.

You can read a brief history of the area by clicking here.

Photo of paddler Ardie Olsen at Oceana, taken by Ken Strickland from the observation deck, 1998.

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Last updated April 2014