Oconee River

[cavscout]

The pictures are amazing and I am sure it would be fun to body-surf through those rapids.
If you happen to like white-water kayaking, you might try the Broad River north of Athens. There's a great outfitter that has amazing prices and knowledgeable staff. There's also one other great quirk about the river. Most of it is maybe 2-3 feet deep. There are numerous places where I've personally gotten out of my boat, walked back up through a set of rapids and gone again for the fun of it. Makes for a good trip at any experience level. Not to mention the beautiful scenery.

-Nate

I did the Broad River with my Dad when I was a kid. Here's the good part...in a 16' aluminum Grumman canoe Portaging that thing will make a man out of you I sold my kayak a couple of years ago, since I just never made the time to go anymore.

The Haw River south of Greensboro NC is another nice little paddle as well as the Upper Chattahoochee before it gets to Lake Lanier.

A little more information about this section of the river, it's a park called Hurricane Shoals. The Friends of the River organization in this area has done a lot of work to accumulate and restore some of the old farm buildings from the late 1800's and early 1900's.

http://www.hurricaneshoalspark.org/heritagevillage.htm?

[beerbecue]

When I lived in Athens, I used to go birding along the local stretch of the Oconee River there. It was about a five minute walk out my back door...

Very beautiful, indeed.....

[souzaphone711]

I did the Broad River with my Dad when I was a kid. Here's the good part...in a 16' aluminum Grumman canoe Portaging that thing will make a man out of you I sold my kayak a couple of years ago, since I just never made the time to go anymore.

Portaging a canoe like that sounds like it would be one heck of a work out. The scout troop I am a part of has four 15 ft. aluminum canoes and they sure are heavy. Luckily the boat I used when i went was a nice little kevlar/plastic whitewater kayak that weighed maybe 40 pounds. It sure would be a pain if you flipped a 16' aluminum canoe though... I don't envy you on that.

-Nate