Wild & Scenic Chattooga River: Swim, Hike & Extra at Bull Sluice

Named one of many Seven Wonders of South Carolina by the South Carolina 7 Expedition the attractive Chattooga River area is stuffed with leisure alternatives for households within the Upstate state, akin to climbing and swimming on a sandy seashore! KAG contributor Liene tells us what we have to know concerning the space and one of many fundamental points of interest, Bull Sluis.

The Chattooga River and Sumter Nationwide Forest

Taking a look at a map of South Carolina, the northwest nook of the state is generally inexperienced, indicating a wealth of public lands. Along with state and county parks like Oconee and Chau Ram, you might have massive swaths of Nationwide Forest land, open to the general public for all types of actions. Named after Revolutionary Conflict normal Andrew Pickens, the 85,000-acre Andrew Pickens Ranger District is without doubt one of the three districts of Sumter Nationwide Forest.

The misuse of the land by the early settlers made massive areas nugatory for agriculture and timber manufacturing. The deserted land fell into federal arms within the early 1900s, and it was designated a nationwide forest in 1920. The Nationwide Forest is bordered on the west by the Chattooga River, one of many few remaining free-flowing streams within the Southeast. The river additionally varieties the border of South Carolina and Georgia, from the NC border to its confluence with the Tallulah River (and its subsequent renaming because the Tugaloo River).

With its remoteness, dense forests and wealthy range of plant and animal life, this can be a extremely distinctive place and is acknowledged as such; it was named the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River on Might 10^e1974. This designation protects a 15,432-acre hall alongside the river, together with the portion that runs via the Ellicott Rock Wilderness, the place SC, NC, and GA converge.

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The Chattooga meanders via the mountains for 57 miles from its headwaters to southwest Cashiers, NC. It is flat and quiet in locations, appropriate for swimming and tubing, however in others it turns into whitewater, with harmful rapids that make transferable even for knowledgeable paddlers.

One such place is Bull Sluice, a benchmark class IV+ rapids throughout regular currents (it will get much more harmful and nearly impassable at low tide). Notorious for being featured within the film “Deliverance,” the rapids are positioned close to the freeway 76 bridge and the boat/raft parking space for Part 4, making it a preferred vacation spot for whitewater rafters and kayakers. Bull Sluice is definitely the biggest and final rapids on Part 3 of the Chattooga, and plenty of boaters utilizing Part 4 (which is narrower and extra harmful) will use Bull Sluice first.

Being solely a brief stroll, Bull Sluice can also be a preferred swimming spot with a sandy seashore a number of hundred meters under the rapids. There’s supposedly a small cave underneath the primary stream of water the place swimmers can watch boaters carry out the rapids above them. With three younger youngsters, we stayed effectively away from the rapids and left the exploring to the older and extra adventurous. After being immersed within the scene, we returned to the paved street main from the car parking zone to the seashore, took off our footwear and loved a number of quiet hours within the cool waters of the river.

To entry the river and rapids of the Bull Sluice, park within the massive car parking zone on the north facet of Freeway 76. The street to the seashore leaves from the shelter on the left, and the path to the view of the Bull Sluis is only some hundred meters additional to the suitable.

From the car parking zone, additionally, you will discover steps that result in US76 and cross the river for scenic views upstream. That is the foothill path that continues for 18 miles and joins the William Bartram path, which traces the well-known 1773 explorer/naturalist/author’s journey via the area. A viewing platform on the south facet of the river can also be accessible from a turnoff on the downstream facet; it isn’t potential for pedestrians to cross the freeway, it’s important to drive to achieve the car parking zone throughout the street.

Close by points of interest:

There are two waterfalls at this level on the SC facet close to US76: Fall Creek Falls and the 50-ft Lengthy Creek Falls that move into the Chattooga. Don’t confuse Fall Creek Falls with Falls Creek cascades towards Jones Hole; Fall Creek Falls is a tough 2-mile hike downstream (though the a number of falls, starting from 30-50 ft excessive alongside the mile-long stretch of creek, are well worth the effort for my part!).

King Creek Falls and Spoonauger Falls are somewhat additional north and might be mixed with a tenting journey to Burrell’s Ford Campground: Camp Close to Scenic Waterfalls in Upstate, SC.

One other enjoyable vacation spot in Sumter Nationwide Forest is the Walhalla Fish Hatchery. Go to the fish farm, have a picnic and fish on the East Fork!

This put up first appeared on Femme au Lobby als Bull Sluis op de Chattooga.

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