Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Georgia / North Georgia Mountains

Chattooga River Trail (Georgia: US 76 to Sandy Ford)

Chattooga Wild and Scenic River corridor, Chattahoochee National Forest (Georgia-South Carolina line, east of Clayton)

The Chattooga River forms part of the line between Georgia and South Carolina, and the Chattooga River Trail follows it through the Wild and Scenic River corridor. On the Georgia side, the Forest Service describes an 11-mile trail from US 76 to Sandy Ford Road, where it connects to the Bartram Trail. N2Backpacking notes that this lower stretch of river is the one featured in the 1972 film Deliverance.

No permit is needed, but camping has setback rules from the river and the roads.

The hike

The Forest Service says the Chattooga River Trail begins where Highway 76 East crosses the Chattooga River and ends at Sandy Ford Road, an 11-mile spur that connects to the Bartram Trail. It says nearly all of the trail is within the Wild and Scenic River area, so Leave No Trace principles are strongly encouraged, and that the trail is open year-round. It also warns of many downed trees.

Scouting Magazine gives the approach: from Clayton, take US 76 east for nine miles; trailhead parking is on the left before the Chattooga River bridge. It describes the area as about 100 miles northeast of Atlanta.

N2Backpacking describes the river section between Sandy Ford Road and Russell Bridge, where the Bartram and Chattooga River Trails share the route for 9.4 of 9.5 miles. It says most of the hike is along the river, that there are numerous campsites along the Chattooga in this section, and that a short side trail near Sandy Ford Road leads to the scenic Dicks Creek Falls. Just 0.1 mile from Sandy Ford Road, it says, the Chattooga River Trail splits from the Bartram Trail.

The UGA Hiker’s Guide to the Chattooga River describes the trail system in more detail, including the Warwoman Dell area and campsites near Moss Mill Branch and Five Ledges upriver from Earls Ford. It notes that some trails near Earls Ford are also used by horses.

Campsites are plentiful but varied. A WhiteBlaze forum poster describes very good river and creek campsites on the southern portion, including just north of Russell Bridge and between Warwoman Ford and Sandy Ford. The same poster warns that areas around Sandy Ford, Earls Ford, and Burrells Ford often have car campers on weekends. Another describes hiking out and back from Russell Bridge to Sandy Ford and recommends camping along the river well north of Sandy Ford.

The Chattooga continues north toward Ellicott Rock, where Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina meet. Scouting Magazine says the trail continues into the 8,300-acre Ellicott Rock Wilderness, the only U.S. wilderness that straddles three states. That part of the trail is on the South Carolina side, where Scouting Magazine says overnight groups are limited to six people.

On the South Carolina side upriver, Discover South Carolina describes almost 8 miles from Russell Bridge to Burrell’s Ford Campground, passing Big Bend Falls about 2 miles short of the campground, with primitive campsites all along the trail, some right by the water. Wikipedia adds that Spoonauger Falls is a short quarter-mile hike from the Burrell’s Ford Road trailhead.

For another North Georgia river trip, see the Conasauga River Trail.

Tips

Camping

The Forest Service says backcountry camping along the Chattooga River Trail must be at least a quarter mile from Earl’s Ford and Sandy Ford Roads. Its page gives the river setback as both 50 feet and 100 feet, so plan on 100. Scouting Magazine says no backcountry permit is required in the river corridor. N2Backpacking describes numerous campsites along the river.

Inside Intel: Hike in past the road access points. A WhiteBlaze poster recommends river and creek campsites just north of Russell Bridge and between Warwoman Ford and Sandy Ford, while warning that sites near the fords draw weekend car campers. Another suggests an 8-mile walk from Russell Bridge to a great campsite along the river well north of Sandy Ford.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Supper on the Chattooga:

A riverside camp along the Wild and Scenic Chattooga deserves a good trail dinner. See which meals testers keep coming back to.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.