Paddle the Historic Etowah near Atlanta

Not too late!  The forecast for Sunday is sunny and 58 to 60 degrees! We have been invited to enjoy coffee and warm facilities at 0930 while the shuttle is being set up in Johnny and Jill's place.

We'll float and paddle 10 miles from the small town of Euharlee, GA, just west of Cartersville, starting at the park on Euharlee Creek and run West and North on the Etowah to the Highway 411/20 bridge for the take-out. Please see http://www.notatlanta.org/euharlee.html for information about the town! There is a restored Covered Bridge and Museum crossing the creek just above our put-in. We can enjoy it and lunch at Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse after our paddle! This section of the Etowah is near Cartersville, GA just up I-75 from Atlanta and is a regulated flow from the dam at Lake Allatoona, perfect for a fall paddle. It has a constant current, with Class I and low Class II's, to make for an enjoyable day for beginners and experienced paddlers alike. We'll see and experience pre-historic fish weirs all along the route as well as a Civil War era bridge that was once the longest iron bridge in the south. Be sure to keep an eye out for wildlife too!

Please email to bobbymarie@bellsouth.net  if you can provide an extra boat, space or gear OR if you would like to join us and need to obtain gear. 

This is a "BYOB event"-so, rent, beg or borrow, but please BRING YOUR OWN BOAT! (Kayak or canoe, no inflatable rafts please). We have a limited number of extra paddles and PFD's if you need to borrow.

EVENT PLAN:
This will be an "at least dry and some shine" float,  and we intend not to cancel it unless the weather is wet OR if the predicted high temps do not reach 55 degrees. A cancel notice will be sent the day before if necessary. Take snacks to eat in your vessel as we do not plan on a formal lunch stop on the river. 

WHERE & WHEN?  We'd like to meet promptly at 8:30 AM at the Busbee Park and Ride at the Chastain Rd. exit of I-75. We'll plan to leave the park and ride at 8:35 AM for the short trip through Cartersville to Euharlee where we will stage the boats.

SHUTTLE SETUP:  From 9:15 AM to 9:45 we'll send a group of volunteer "shuttle drivers" in their vehicles to the 411 Bridge take-out lot, about 6.5 miles from our Euharlee put-in.  At least one of our drivers will then return all those drivers to Euharlee.  After the float the vehicles left down-river including Bobby's with a trailer will facilitate a speedy return to Euharlee for those who may still have vehicles at our put-in and want to enjoy lunch and a look at the Covered Bridge and Museum!

LAUNCH & TAKE-OUT:  We plan to launch by about 10:30-10:45 AM from Euharlee and take out at ABOUT 3:00 PM at the 411 Bridge (on the right bank of the river).

OPTIONAL Lunch at Johnny Mitchell's Smokehouse in Euharlee (after the paddle):  Check out their menu at www.johnnymitchellssmokehouse.com Great food, tea and desserts and reasonable prices! We'll depart at our leisure for the ride back to the carpool location or on to town!

Personal Preparedness and Responsibility due to the air temps and cold temp of the water released into the river:
Be a competent swimmer or PFD assisted floater.
PFD's (life jackets) are absolutely required for the entire float. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO OR REFUSE TO WEAR YOUR PFD FOR THE ENTIRE FLOAT, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP.
Dress appropriately for moderate excercise and the possibility of getting wet in the river.
Be practiced in self rescue, individual paddlers are ultimately responsible for  their own safety, and must assume sole responsibility for there decisions

DIRECTIONS from EUHARLEE CREEK PUT-IN to GA-20 ETOWAH RIVER BRIDGE TAKEOUT:
From our Put-In parking area (beside the tennis courts and Euharlee Creek):
1) Take Covered Bridge Road BACK to Euharlee Road (northward, about 0.5 mile, passing Johnny's Smokehouse on your left). 
2) Turn Left onto Euharlee Road and go 3.4 miles to Macedonia Rd (there's a church here on your right). 
3. Turn right onto Macedonia Road and go 2.6 miles to GA-20/US-411.
4) Turn Right onto GA-20, drive just 0.2 mile (eastward) across the Etowah River bridge and make an immediate hard Right onto the gravel river-access road and parking area by the Etowah.  (NOTE: In order to return to the Euharlee Creek Put-In via the same route, you'll first have to drive eastward on GA-20 a short distance and make a U-turn before re-crossing the Etowah bridge to Macedonia Rd.)

"DIRECTIONS IN A NUTSHELL" from ETOWAH RIVER BRIDGE TAKEOUT back to ATLANTA:
 1) Take GA-20 eastward in the direction of Cartersville. (Initially it will be concurrent with GA-411).
 2) CAREFULLY follow the "GA-20 EAST" signs (through several ramps and turns in north Cartersville) to the GA-20/ I-75 junction at I-75 Exit #290.  Total distance from the Etowah bridge to I-75 is about 14 miles.
 3) Take the entrance ramp here I-75 South here at I-75 milepost #290 and return to Atlanta (about 30 miles to I-285 interchange).