Official National Forest Service map of the Chattooga National Wild and Scenic River, spanning Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina—featuring adjacent Chattahoochee, Nantahala, and Sumter National Forests.

Description

The Chattooga River begins in mountainous North Carolina as small rivulets, nourished by springs and abundant rainfall, high on the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains – the start of a fifty mile journey that ends at Lake Tugaloo between Georgia and South Carolina. From its origin, it flows southward for 10 miles in North Carolina, and then continues for 40 miles as the state boundary between South Carolina and Georgia, dropping almost one-half mile in elevation.

The river is one of the most significant free-flowing streams in the Southeast. The setting is primitive; dense forests and undeveloped shorelines characterize the primitive nature of the area.

On May 10, 1974, Congress designated the Chattooga a Wild and Scenic River. Few rivers have the special characteristics to qualify. This protection is reserved for rivers possessing not only outstanding scenery but also recreation, wildlife, geology, cultural resources, or other similar criteria. No motorized vehicles are permitted within a corridor about one-quarter mile wide on either side of the river. Visitors must rely on their own skills and strength rather than on motorized equipment. Man-made facilities are minimal, consisting primarily of hiking trails.

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