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As the kids get older, planning family adventures has become much more fun – for me at least! Gone are the days spent scheduling around naps and if you aren’t there yet, let me tell you, it is glorious and there is a light at the end of the tunnel! The new challenge becomes finding places and activities that are “fun” for those harder to please tweens and teens. A few months ago, over a nice long Labor Day weekend, we had the PERFECT family vacation centered around whitewater rafting at Wildwater Chattooga in Long Creek, South Carolina. Not only was it a trip that we approached with excitement, but in the days and months following, we haven’t stopped raving about all of the fun we had. So, today I want to share our recent Georgia & South Carolina family adventure with you, complete with our full itinerary.

Georgia & South Carolina Family Adventure

Now, if you know me, I normally don’t plan everything out in advance, but because we were heading to a new-to-us area, I wanted to make sure we didn’t miss out on anything and it paid off big time. I took a couple of hours to research everything from restaurants to roadside attractions and by doing that we maximized our time together and made so many wonderful memories! I am not exaggerating when I say that everything we did was a hit with the kids and I would love for your family to experience the same joy we did.

We did it all on this trip, from whitewater rafting to ziplining, waterfall chasing, hiking, and even spent the afternoon making friends with goats but it didn’t feel overscheduled. An extra day would have been nice so that we could venture out even more but not completely necessary and a three-day weekend is all that you need here.

Should You Plan 2, 3, or 4 Nights?

This “road trip” is perfect for 2-4 days and the 4 main stops (Tallulah Gorge State Park, Goats on the Roof, Wildwater Ltd, Toccoa Falls) were all within 10-35 minutes of each other. The bulk of the driving is spent getting there from your home base.

Because we live almost 6 hours away in Dothan, Alabama, we choose to leave on a Friday after school and drive the first 4 hours, stopping just NE of Atlanta, Georgia. This gave us all day Saturday & Sunday for low-stress family fun and all day Monday to make our way back home (and get in a couple more stops along the way).

If you live 4 or more hours away, in places like Nashville, Birmingham, Huntsville, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, which are all about 4- 6 hours from our accommodations at Wildwater Chattooga, then I would recommend doing it the way we did with an optional first night stop along the way.

Wildwater Chattooga is about 2 hours NE of Atlanta, so if you live under 2 hours away in places like Greenville, South Carolina, or Asheville, North Carolina, or even 3 hours away in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Columbia, Augusta, or Charlotte, you can do it in 2 nights and eliminate the optional day 1.

Our Georgia & South Carolina Family Adventure Itinerary

So, as I said above, if you live 2-3 hours away and plan to leave your home by 7:00 am or 8:00 am, you can skip Day 1 and go straight to Day 2.

Day 1 (Optional): Friday 9/3/2021

3:00 pm – Left Dothan, Alabama immediately after school and set off toward Atlanta. This is in central standard time, but the remainder of the trip is in the eastern time zone.

6:00 pm – Arrived in Columbus, Georgia, and had dinner in an old Greyhound bus at Country’s BBQ. This is a must-visit if heading through Columbus, Georiga and the brisket tacos were oh so good. I even stopped in again to grab them when we found ourselves in Columbus a month later for a swim meet.

9:00 pm – Arrived at our hotel for the night, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Duluth North, just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. We have actually stayed here before while en route to Gatlinburg since it’s located conveniently off of Interstate 85 and just past the downtown traffic. The hotel was very clean, the beds are always comfortable, and we like having the hot breakfast that Holiday Inn Express offers.

Day 2: Saturday 9/4/2021

8:00 am – Breakfast at the hotel. Free!

8:30 am – Depart Holiday Inn Express & Suites Duluth North and head toward our first stop – Tallulah Gorge State Park.

10:00 am – Arrive at Tallulah Gorge State Park

STOP 1: Tallulah Gorge State Park

I can’t believe that I had never heard of this Georgia State Park until I started researching for our trip. Like us on trips before, I bet many of you have driven right past it on the way up to the Blue Ridge or Smokey Mountains without realizing what a hidden gem it is!

We stopped at Tallulah Gorge State Park for a little under 3 hours but could have easily spent longer. We did a two-mile hike, complete with waterfalls and a trek across a 200-foot suspension bridge. Now, this is the first part that would have been nearly impossible with younger kids. The two-mile hike involves almost 1100 stairs all within the first half-mile. If you asked me on stair 1075 if I would do it again, I may have had some choice words, but the second we contoured the last one our tone changed and we were immediately proud of ourselves! So, we took our shaky legs on the remainder of the hike and were rewarded with some incredible views back down toward the bridge below and of the waterfalls that flow through the gorge. It was worth it!

Not feeling that hike? There are several other trails at Tallulah Gorge State Park that are shorter and less difficult. There is also a wonderful interpretive center with a variety of natural and historical exhibits as well as a gift shop.

We could have stayed longer at the park, but already had our next stop planned and it included lunch. You can sure bet that we worked up an appetite on that hike!

Click here to read my blog post about Tallulah Gorge State Park – complete with photos and everything else you’ll need to know.

1:00 pm – Leave Tallulah Gorge State Park heading towards Goats on the Roof, a short 10 minute drive away.

1:10 pm – Arrive at Goats on the Roof – Georgia

STOP 2: Goats on the Roof

This was Abby’s favorite stop on this entire adventure! Goats on the Roof is just a few miles north of Tallulah Gorge State Park and right off of Highway 23, making it another place we had driven past but never quite appreciated until now. I discovered this cool and quirky little place while browsing Roadside America, one of my favorite road trip resources.

I was thrilled to see that there is a food truck on site which allowed us to make this our lunch stop but still make it fun. The Game Time by Coach Joe food truck offered everything from Low Country Boil to chili dogs and make sure to get their famous lemonade. You can view the whole menu here and there is and I would recommend ordering as soon as you get there, especially on weekends and holidays.

As the name implies, there are literally goats on the roof! They have a variety of contraptions to allow you to feed them including peddling a bike, powering a conveyer belt, that will deliver the food to the hungry goats up on the roof. The gift shop sells goat food along with all kinds of souvenirs including some really cute t-shirts. They also have homemade fudge and nitro ice cream that we wish we had saved room for!

In an adjacent building, Abby and Jake purchased bags of treasure and spent some time panning for gems. They always love activities like this so we couldn’t pass that up and they wrapped up right as our lunch was ready.

We spent about 2 hours at Goat on the Roof and the kids would have been happy to stay even longer, however, we had a ziplining trip scheduled for 4:00 pm so we had to make our way to Wildwater Chattooga.

Click here to read my blog post about Goats on the Roof – complete with photos and everything else you’ll want to know before your visit.

3:00 pm – Leave Goats on the Roof and head to Wildwater Chattooga, just across the state line in South Carolina and about 20 minutes away.

3:20 pm – Arrive at Wildwater Chattooga

STOP 3: Wildwater Chattooga

This was the main destination on our little road trip. Our friends at Wildwater Ltd were kind enough to invite us to stay with them for a couple of nights and enjoy some ziplining and a day of rafting on the Chattooga River. This was bucket list status for all four of us and we are so grateful for the opportunity to go white water rafting and even conquered a class 4 rapid!

Upon arrival, we got checked in and very quickly dropped our bags off at our cabin. Wildwater offers a variety of lodging for groups of all sizes. Couples can enjoy the treehouse while families will enjoy the cozy cabins and cottages. Larger groups can rent the luxury house (sleeps 12) or cabin (sleeps 8) or stay in the yurts (up to 34 guests). It would be hard NOT to relax at Wildwater Chattooga. Our cottage was nestled in the woods with an oversized porch perfect for enjoying a morning cup of coffee.

Click here to read my blog post about Wildwater that includes photos of our accommodations!

4:00 pm – Ziplining at Wildwater Ltd

Ziplining was so much fun! The Zipline Canopy Tour at Wildwater Ltd includes over ½ mile of zip time with 2 sky bridges, 10 total lines transporting you through the trees, and even over a lake (more than once)! Children 8+ (weighing 60+ lbs) are able to do the zipline tour and one adult escort is required per child ages 8-11.

This was a really cool way to get into that adventure mindset. None of us had experience ziplining outside of a trampoline park and the staff at Wildwater does a great job teaching you the ropes. Haha, had to drop that pun in there. After the first line, we were feeling comfortable and by the end, we were all wishing we could keep ongoing. Tour prices start at $89 per person and the memories are priceless.

The tour lasts up to three hours, however, it was just our family of 4 (along with 2 guides) in our group so we finished up a little earlier, went back to our cottage for quick showers, and then made our way to dinner at the Chattooga River Lodge. We had planned to just grab pizza this first night but when we told our guides that we liked live music and dive bars they said we had to head that way!

8:00 pm – Dinner at the Chattooga River Lodge

This lodge is basically one big campground, motel, restaurant, dive bar and music venue all rolled into one! It’s 5 minutes from Wildwater and truly is where the locals hang out. We filled our stomachs and enjoyed some live music. The kids hung out around the bonfire with some friends they made while Matt and I made sure to pet all of the dogs that came up to our table. It truly was low key and we love places like this. Don’t expect 5-star dining or quick service, but instead enjoy the rowdy hoots and hollers coming from friends winding down after a long day on the river.

For more information: https://www.chattoogalodge.com/

9:45 pm – Arrive back at our Wildwater Cottage

We enjoyed a glass of wine on the porch and settled into bed excited for our big white water rafting trip the following day!

Day 3: Sunday 9/5/2021

9:15 am – Whitewater Rafting – Section 3 of the Chattooga River

The best part about staying right there at Wildwater means it’s just a short walk or even shorter (1/4 mile) drive to the activities hub. We were booked on an approx 7-hour whitewater rafting trip on the Chattooga River. This trip is open to anyone age 8+ and they do offer other trips including one on Section 4 for ages 12+ and a mini trip for ages 8+. Although, I highly recommend the full trip. It was incredible!

You start off with a quick lesson on rafting basics, get fitted for your gear, and then hop in the shuttle bus for a short drive down to the river. Once dropped off, the entire group pitches in carrying supplies (including lunch provided by Wildwater) and rafts down the hill to the river banks.

The trip starts out slow with mild rapids and additional training by the knowledgeable guides and gets more difficult as you go. You stop along the unspoiled river banks, nestled far below the trees, for lunch.

Shortly after getting back on the water, you approach Bull Sluice, the class 4 rapid, and the entire group pulls the rafts onto the banks. The guides walk with you to the top of the rocks that hug the rapids and let you watch a team go down. At this point, you can opt-out of the class 4 rapid, and it’s tempting, but I know that we would have regretted it immensely if we didn’t try it! The guides are experts and helped us conquer that rapid without toppling out of our rafts. Although, if you can tell by the look on his face, that was no easy task!

After that, you can even take a turn at jumping into the rapids as if your adrenaline wasn’t pumping enough before! All 4 of us did this and again it was an incredible experience! Wildwater even has a photographer on-site taking photos of both the rafting and the jumping. They even get a couple of family photos (hello, Christmas cards). You can view your images and purchase the photo package, with digital downloads, as soon as you get back. And, please do this. As a mom, and the one who always takes the photos, I rarely find myself in them. These are a treasure to have!

We continued down the river. FUN FACT: The movie Deliverance was filmed on this very section of the Chattooga River back in 1972. Can you hear the dueling banjos as you read this?

Eventually, Matt and I did fall out of the raft, on a small rapid right before the end, and everyone got a good laugh. Once back on dry land, the entire group helps carry everything back up to the bus and the short drive back to Wildwater begins.

The rafting trips run from March – October and you can book your trip now. They also offer a raft and zip combo on weekdays. Visit their website for all dates, rates, and availability.

Click here to read my blog post about our white water rafting trip with Wildwater Chattooga for even more information and photos from our day on the water!

3:30 pm – Relax at the Cottage

All of us showered. Three of us took a nap. One of us opened a bottle of wine and sat on the porch alone enjoying the sounds of nature.

6:00 pm – Dinner at Humble Pie

I had this dinner planned in advance and it was everything I imagined. I actually had it planned for Saturday night but luckily I called ahead and they said that they would be having live music on Sunday night that weekend. I live for live music at dinner. We ordered a couple of pizzas, that were fantastic, and sat in Adirondack chairs while the kids ran around, giggling and climbing trees with new friends. The music was the perfect blend of Van Morrison and Zach Brown Band and I couldn’t have created a better playlist if I tried. It was the perfect final night of our trip.

We stayed until closing time which lucky for us was only 8:00 pm because we were exhausted. One of us probably could have used that nap!

You can call Humble Pie at 1-864-647-9098 to see if they have live music planned for any of the nights you are visiting.

Day 4: Monday 9/6/2021

9:00 am – Packing Up and Hitting the Road

We all got a chance to sleep in after a very active couple of days. We feasted on some donuts and coffee on the patio and then collected our things. We did everything we came to do, but I think I would have been happy staying another day so if you can swing that, it’s not a bad idea.

I had wanted to visit and have lunch at the Chattooga Belle Farm / Belle’s Bistro. The views from the farm look beautiful and there is even a distillery on site. There are also a few great little hikes within a 20-mile radius as well as some orchards and farmstands. You could easily fill an extra day or even two if you have the flexibility in your schedule.

I did have one more stop up my sleeve and a surprise for Matt. Or should I say that Jake had a surprise for Matt!

STOP 4: Toccoa Falls

10:00 am – Toccoa Falls

When initially researching this trip I saw something on Roadside America that piqued my interest. Just 35 minutes south of Wildwater existed a statue of the World’s Strongest Man. That’s all I knew. I showed Jake and he instantly said that we had to take Dad there! Matt had always enjoyed the bodybuilding culture. We even took him to work out at Venice Beach a few years back. So, we were going to Toccoa Falls and there was no turning back.

10:15 am – The World’s Strongest Man Statue

In a small park, in a small town, you’ll find a statue of Paul Anderson, the world’s strongest man. You’ll also find some inspiration as you learn about his life. It’s not just his physical accomplishments that are remarkable, he left a long-lasting legacy in the Paul Anderson Youth Home. If you are interested in things like this, pop on by the park, and if you aren’t, just skip to the next stop.

Click here to read my blog post about the Paul Anderson Strongest Man Statue for exact directions and learn more about his life!

11:00 am – Toccoa Falls Waterfall

Taking this route home added maybe 15 minutes to our trip, but it was immediately worth it when we got a chance to see the Toccoa Falls waterfall. After an adrenaline-packed weekend, the short 1/4 mile hike (it’s more like a stroll) to the falls was a welcome reward. Plan to spend 30 minutes to 1 hour here. It really just boils down to how long you want to stand and admire the falls (which are taller than Niagara Falls). This is another stop that I would have completely missed had I not planned this itinerary in advance.

Click here to read my blog post about the Toccoa Falls waterfall!

12:00 pm – Heading Home to Dothan, Alabama

We had approximately a 5-hour drive home and gained an hour heading back into central standard time. So, after all of that and stopping for a fast-food lunch, we were still able to make it home by dinnertime and with daylight left!

Watch Our Georgia & South Carolina Family Adventure on Instagram Stories

I have the entire trip – start to finish saved in a story highlight on Instagram. CLICK HERE to watch it as it unfolded and I hope that it really helps bring our little adventure to life for you!

And if you have questions or comments, please do leave them here on my blog! I always do my best to respond to everyone.