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A former staffer with The Miami Herald, Marie moved to SC in 1992. She is passionate about the outdoors, and enjoys exploring the state’s many natural treasures from the Lowcountry to the Upstate.
Outfitters offer whitewater rafting trips on two sections of the Chattooga River.
When it comes to outdoor adventure, Oconee County checks all the boxes. This remote region of the Upstate offers whitewater rafting, lake paddling, quiet creeks for fly fishing, a zip line canopy tour, beautiful waterfalls, and miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.
Smack in the middle of the recreational wonderland is the Chattooga River Resort & Campground, base camp for all the fun.
Some of the sites in the Chattooga River Resort & Campground feature shelters, ensuring campers have a dry spot to cook, eat and play card games if it rains.
The put-in and take-out for Section III and IV of the famed whitewater river is just minutes from the resort, making it a favorite camping spot for paddlers looking to test their mettle on the Chattooga's roaring rapids.
Campers have their choice of 18 primitive sites, each with its own unique features. There are sites that allow you to drive right up to your tent. Some are tucked away in the woods. Others overlook Long Creek. Several offer shelters with picnic tables, eliminating the need to set up a tarp should it rain.
All of the campsites are located within a short walk of a clean, heated bathhouse. An additional seven sites with 20- and 30-amp access are available for RVs in a separate section of the resort.
The terrace outside the Chattooga River Resort & Campground lodge is a great spot for group gatherings and parties.
Those preferring concrete walls separating them from the outdoors can opt for one of the resort's nine motel rooms. They don't have individual bathrooms, but they're air conditioned and comfortably furnished. A bathhouse is just steps away.
The Chattooga resort's post-and-beam lodge features a restaurant and full bar, an expansive marble terrace with stacked-stone fire pit, and indoor and outdoor stages for live entertainment.
And right down the road is Humble Pie, a popular dining spot for hungry kayakers and rafters. Celebrate your run down the river with their specialty pizza, the Bull Sluice Supreme, named after the Chattooga's best-known rapid.
A former staffer with The Miami Herald, Marie moved to SC in 1992. She is passionate about the outdoors, and enjoys exploring the state’s many natural treasures from the Lowcountry to the Upstate.
