South
Klondike Rd to Ga 138/Stockbridge Hwy
| Difficulty | I-II(III) |
| Length | 3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 11 fpm |
| Permit | |
| Gauge | South River at Klondike Road, Near Lithonia, Ga |
| Flow Rate as of 46 minutes | 125 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | May 5, 2025 |
River Description
This beautifully forested 3-mile-long suburban Atlanta run has a terrific bike path shuttle.
The whitewater consists of Albert Shoals (III) and several class I ledges. Albert Shoals is runnable above 200cfs and becomes fun at 300 or 400cfs. The primary route starts on the far right side and works its way down through terraced ledges and chutes all the way to the far left. It's quite satisfying, especially if you manage to avoid getting hung up on the moraine of junky rocks that litter the runout at the bottom. Above 2,000 cfs, the speed of the current and the size of the holes to skirt bump the difficulty up a notch to III+/IV. There's an established portage trail on river left.
The paved bike trail that runs remotely through the woods along the river has two river access points in the span of this reach. Unfortunately the Klondike Road put-in for this section is not one of them. The first bike trail access point is the De Castro Trailhead located 0.6 miles downstream of the Klondike Rd bridge and 0.2 miles downstream of Albert Shoals. The second is, thankfully, at the take-out at Ga 138/Stockbridge Hwy (aka Lorraine Park). In order to bike shuttle AND put in upstream of Albert Shoals, start 6 miles farther upstream at the Panola Shoals Trailhead. That section, Panola to Klondike, is similarly undeveloped and wooded, like this subsequent section but it's flat. More detail: https://pathfoundation.org/trails or google map with 'bike' specified as vehicle.
River Features
Put In at Everett Park on Klondike Rd
De Castro access point
Mid-run access along Daniels Bridge Rd and along the PATH bike path
Lorraine Park Take Out
Alternative take-out while Lorraine Park is closed
Take out here, river left at the bridge, while Lorraine Park is closed for renovations.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportNo trip reports yet.