CHATTOOGA NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVER

THRIFT LAKE FALLS - SEPTEMBER 15, 2001

The Chattooga River begins in the mountains of North Carolina as small rivulets, nourished by springs and abundant rainfall, high on the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains.  The water drops a half mile in elevation over fifty miles as it winds its way to Lake Tugaloo where the river ends between South Carolina and Georgia.

The Chattooga is one of the few remaining free-flowing streams in the Southeast, and the setting is primitive with dense forests and undeveloped shorelines on most of its route.  On May 10, 1974, Congress designated the Chattooga a Wild and Scenic River - a honor reserved for rivers with outstanding scenery, recreation, wildlife, geologic, and cultural values.

We hiked northbound for about a mile and a half on both the Chattooga River Trail and the Bartram Trail which share a section along the river from the Russell Bridge Parking Area.  It was only a few days after 9/11, and we needed to get away from the TV and relax and reflect in the wilderness for a while.  The area was packed with overnight hikers, so apparently we weren't the only ones.