Anyone go kayaking around North Atlanta?

[Tbonewannabe]

My wife and I went for the first time at Amelia Island a while back and was wondering where a good spot to rent a kayak for a day. We might eventually buy one if we enjoy it enough and there are places to go around Woodstock.

[BeastMan]

Not in the area although I’d like to

[Prediction? Pain.]

I've been kayaking all of one time, so I'm probably out of my element here. But my lone experience was sort of in your neck of the woods -- a little south of Blue Ridge, GA, on the Toccoa River. We had a great time. We did a shortish section of the river (maybe two or three hours' worth) that ranged from serene to mildly exciting (Class I+ or II- rapids were about as intense as it got (which was plenty for a novice like me)). You can do an entire day on the river as part of something called the Toccoa River Canoe Trail in the Chattahoochee National Forest. The entire float is something like 14 miles, I think. You may even be able to do the trip over the course of two days with a stop for camping in the middle.

You can do the trail by yourself or with a guide. There are lots of rental companies in the area, too. We used Jon Ron (http://www.jonrontro.com/), which is about 25 minutes south of Blue Ridge right next to the Toccoa. Here are a couple of pics to give you a feel for the water and the scenery:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/reK6DkSxP06NDnquAE_YFM2QvL074iqmXTi5LK9_QLR-sI4IOq9UB5qJZj5IYWAbE5Mka421MnDis5jQ1YUT9dBiXlWUkj Rw9MYY-8MB0ZOHRnwrhAIedaKYx8NyLnK6f9iqQMw7z7Rnd-rDQC0qR1K72_Y8q_vHGKEQEr5EwT8AaLjIHqXywajehQnYrdBG d69tuaVGG3vIhKaGXEgHriXWYGamFSEoQA5nuyU36GyeSAZUOb 4G6PD6eIgAwF-5tpCt84VEntyISFSNKoG1zcKPnxcJsW7u1QWA0mnuJcTk_FXY_ rWALIh5nlET1GLi_HBUdqQyr4odYcVOVDEjHnQend69WMTuBNA L1E-wEmn9YWJ7Ba6Drq1IfLhfOm31KTGM2MmtNEc8xv2ZYkeb185it QwavNLWfIvInsUxPJFmRngUhcBMu1nL4hYCPe3bZCxjcw2Ty0Z lhPuVm3q0ipfEv4hzMUd_gv4poNEMWLrpN5QVoa9zCQOyKGqq1 1NefWzyD6080cCmsC11Q_3f1SmbiwiLwAnETLElUXXFqSf5F57 MV4yRJMosR3f4MBTta9fcPDXtK0qYolV2QUSz-3ZTR5fmrlzIvPDNWkv8=w711-h947-no

(I'm the goober in the big hat.)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CR0YVD20KoClCzK4guWtu44liY442qQqVKayUHSTLhF0JgzOB2 o_YDhApF3e9eUPWFas_t56BAnX9DcbySWK-NTUy2maxVIdT3EvuKan_56lVSqHTv-ujc-eynh90WcFzYb_jztDpO_KG1_lvmfzD7ZtKYrUKHmxFJHT5geQL gTW_MW8Pbc4FzmIsG6zA5FrIXaJ9U1P5xTT8JkRLY-VoUsW76GOWO9YbgJF2I-hV-Y2RmW3gXrZm4M1ir23n7Ph86FSy8qVhPxfm-N0NS_9DxCORwJFbWnbhCCyIHkajrbfck_LT-h6W2v6iZQkpTwmrr-crX1Fl4AI6-BaXqre0IH7d3hIkW-1Vt0IqQVsodqZpC2fby9JhiCoMC_RCI3QVbhUnME3zoww_q-4Kx88MnkoxeD_iifw8PpCY91fNQD1nD36OGeRJ3xRvxrriFA_C VvCapVYqGUdNpeFLX5jS3HggDu_5xVWucgySQ3ATLKH6Cr9_-FAwaJS5fWzXnpffxmBaaD7zpik4UNlIdAJlmoamU0McjchDrol QYu2XIdM9wV6kObboudJH6HpztN9bifgl1crtyRcdcuu2My3wi kb74qCsj-KzXP9-r_j=w1263-h947-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AUB2I7-3W692VhVjSh-3kMOldW2tHIejBQfweu8I8BdBqkwTAj6VS1njdjzNrUbGp0bX1 k_RAMsflVF8tJH8To3cLIWDYmMQqFgYlsD8oVUdqqeJxanYoou-NjkQUNH09Bc08SDTEjhTroWr0-xEB6sOOGck0DCI7kJ-sGD2fFCf5SVpXzAGyDQbjqwzY8ITjZJG-mUwjPfMQ5a_mGT_tPXl37-ryiboag-uhvCbYXxy0Ra6Jfn21e-KrRiZ-7DZbbGzTa3Kq60QHtDZRMvjNOEtaTB40XEJyDhzirLNn1OJNus 0Pz7VzRKIlMaKBChUoTl_4Qlc242uawlz1j8OMP42Y-1N_n_NvbZuGPxPkfpPtlgUWZ4-pV8v5SHhr-UQJyovffJgGQVX3GjWYTydCBwEb3ZgYqf4Pq7P60VWHnN9Z5M5 7pvom_l0GqYWRyQmBJ7lIISeU_1CqhxHFE0H5V0mw08H3mPzR-5yTVNYavUH_vMp2QsZai9-eBsGQnNRm35xmnMToDd3kdTxb1SLSBr_MtcnQmr5saqVaPD-aGJMtjDv7T_NH9wzR6XVCs14soVtid41JZbAWblIX8Mh6sJKoN Sds9a4bwoXCV8k=w1263-h947-no

[BrunswickDawg]

You should go old school - "Shoot the Hooch (http://shootthehooch.com/about/)"

Growing up in Marietta - that was the late spring Friday ritual - skip out of school at lunch with a couple of buds and some hot chicks, buy a case of beer with a fake ID, and float from Johnsons Ferry Rd to Paces Mill. Water was so cold you didnt need ice for your beer. Stop at the Cliffs near Ray's on the River to see who was brave enough to jump (only if the water was deep). Maybe sneak a little weed in for fun. Back in the late 70s and early 80s, you would drive over the Chattahoochee on 75 and regularly see 100s of people floating the river. I miss those days - it was like something you'd see in a classic movie like Dazed and Confused.