Chattahoochee River between Morgan Falls Dam and the Johnson Ferry Unit of Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Length: 2 miles
Time: 30-45 minutes
The put-in point for the Morgan Falls Dam to Johnson Ferry trip on the Chattahoochee River is at a boat ramp below the dam. If you take Morgan Falls Road (off of Roswell Road), when the road comes to an end, turn right, away from Morgan Falls Overlook Park, and proceed down a narrow paved road. This quickly turns into a gravel road that ends at a gravel parking lot. The boat ramp is at the far end of the gravel lot. I am not sure who owns this property, but is not on National Park Service so there is no charge to park. There is plenty of parking.
View of Morgan Falls Dam from the boat ramp below the dam on the Chattahoochee River
Morgan Falls Boat ramp (view from across the Chattahoochee River)
It is possible that water can be released from the dam, and when it does, you do not want to be in its way. However, the intensity of the water flow is much less than that released from the Buford Dam, so life jackets are mandatory only for those in the river from the boat ramp to below the dam (a very small area). The only people who would be in this area for a long period of time are fishermen.
The trip from Morgan Falls to Johnson Ferry is short and unexciting; the river is very calm the entire way. While it does move at a brisker pace than above the dam, constant paddling is required if you want to make any time. The shore is tree-lined, so you should see plenty of ducks, geese, blue herons, and turtles. I probably saw more blue herons below the dam than above it.
Blue Heron on the Chattahoochee River below Morgan Falls Dam
While this stretch of the river is uneventful, it is a start to the most “exciting” water within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. From the dam to the last take-out point in the park, Paces Mill, it is only 9 miles, and this can be run in 2.5 to 3 hours (without stops). Nearly non-stop rapids start at Powers Island, an hour and a half from Morgan Falls, but the trip from Powers Island to Paces Mill can be completed in as little as 45 minutes—hardly worth the effort of driving out to the river. Thus, put in at Morgan Falls Dam and you will have an enjoyable 3-hour trip that combines relaxation, exercise, and plenty of Class 1 rapids, which, while certainly not Deliverance territory, are as good as it gets on the Chattahoochee.
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Last updated on May 20, 2024
