only search W.R.W.W. Bear Creek-Cloudland Canyon Lookout Mountain Georgia           Water Quality (1 bad 3 good) Scenery (1 bad 3 good)            3.2 Miles Average Gradient 270 feet per mile Max Gradient 475 feet per mile   Maps:   Watershed Map (to find location and size of creek) Click Here Special thanks to Steve Zerfos for making the map.   Topo Map: Click Here A special thanks to Randy Hale of NorthRiverGeographic for the map       Location: Page 21 of Alabama Gazetteer. That right :) your Alabama Gazetteer, you don't need the $12 dollars for a Georgia Gazetteer.                                                                                  .                                      ACCESS ISSUES!     Contact Jeff West for further development on the parking access. He has arranged .   "I hiked from Daniel confluence to the Bear put-in a few days ago. The main rapids are all clean of wood. Two new large trees may require portaging. The first is located in the warm-up. Easy to see. The second lies across the island above Momentary Lapse of Reason. You'll see it. We did not hike the gnarl. Be careful! Parking at the swimming pool is no longer aloud. Please contact me or one of the many locals to find out the new arrangement. " ACCESS ISSUES! From Jeff West: I am happy to announce that paddlers are welcome to use the State Park access area at the takeout. This area is gated and has been closed to us for several years. The new Park Manager is allowing us to park here on a trial basis. This is how it will work: The gate lock requires a four digit code and the code may be changed by the park staff on a daily basis. To park in this area you must obtain the daily code from me. Relock the gate after entering. After you leave a car at the takeout for shuttle stop by the Park Office and pay $5 per car left at the takeout. Please do not use the self pay stations at the takeout or in the park. You must pay in the Office or at the Entry Booth. The Office opens at 8:00 a.m. Please specify that you are paying for parking a car at the Bear Creek Takeout. I will be happy to text you the daily code. If you want to be on the list please call me. 423-716-7666 As for wood, the major rapids are all clean. Both slots below Stairway have strainers. In the Gnarl there are five major strainers. All are sketchily avoided. Omega still has the tree on the approach. There is wood in the top and final drops of Pinball. There are two trees in random places that are bad news. Please be very careful in regards to our new parking privileges. If you have any questions just give me a call. Be sure to thank the Rangers for opening the parking area to us. As a reminder, here are the rules:   From Jeff: The Bear access has been going really well. The Rangers have changed the access rules a bit. The gate at the takeout is now on an electric timer. It automatically opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at dark. We may park in the parking lot anytime during the day. The Rangers are now checking the self pay slot at the takeout and have asked us to pay and register our vehicles at the self pay spot. There is no need to go to the Park headquarters anymore. Just pay the $5, register your car and have fun on the best creek around! Jeff 423-716-7666       From Mark Travis NO PARKING at the Takeout.. If you get caught, they will tow your car and you could look at jail time. From Charlie Mix: I spoke with the ranger and he said that we are losing access because they are opening the pool at the civic center, but I would not be surprised if some fired up kayakers were partially to blame too. However, he did mention calling ahead to the gentleman in charge to acquire permission to park in a gated parking lot, so I'm sure this issue will be resolved and access will be maintained. I gather that they appreciate the value and significance of the bear and are willing to keep access open for recreation as long as the right avenues are pursued.   The Boogie Section........................                                                     Photos by Nick Murphy of Paul Hubbard and Javid Grubbs     Internet gage: Is actually on Lookout Creek, but Bear runs into Lookout and is very close in proximity. Please use the flowpage here for the exact levels and thresholds for this run. Levels needed: Min 1000 cfs Max TBD The local boaters keep pushing the limit on this run. Put-in Gage: There is a gage at the put-in on the bridge on the upstream side. Painful: 9" Fun: 12" Optimum:12"-16" Pushy: 18" High: And you need to have your gameface 20"-26" Outer Body Experience : > 28"     Paddlers gage correlation to Lookout Creek U.S.G.S. GAGE c.f.s.  Special thanks to Paul Hubbard for all the gage readings:   0" = 1000 cfs 2" = 1100 cfs 4" = 1250 cfs 6" = 1300 cfs 8" = 1800 cfs 10" = 1950 cfs 12" = 2300 cfs 14” = 2900 cfs 16" = 3400 cfs 18" = 3600 cfs 20" = 3800 cfs 22" = 4100 cfs 30" = 4500 cf   I must note, you need to know the level, you need to see if it is rising or falling. Just a couple of inches of difference will determine the outcome of your day or your life. This a popular run, and it's just a matter of time before someone is killed here. I have had many friends hurt here, and paddling careers ruined due to injuries note the level! One other note, this is a popular run, and if you are in a slow group pull over, Bear is known for making laps on. As the same on a golf course pull over and let the locals come through. This should help make the run safer.                                                                                 Armageddon                                                                             Photos by Nick Murphy of Paul Hubbard The run. Hikers Bridge: You start off benign, and you will paddle under a hikers bridge, if you have been pushed around, or it feels wrong to you, this is your last chance. Hiking out of the gorge is epic to say the least and the rapids may be the same for you. This is your last chance Edward Scissorhands: Before long you will come up Edward Scissorhands, the rapid narrow and will cut your skirt. I always would sneak this on the right, because it can cut your spray skirt and make for a hell-uv a trip. This rapid changed kayaking gear. Look on your sprayskirt. Notice the re-enforcement around the cockpit rim. This rapid back in the day forced us to cut up old spray skirts and glue them on top of our sprayskirts. Now they come reinforced. Francis Mallory got to name this rapid after his skirt was destroyed on one of the earlier trips. Surrealistic Pillow is next this rapid is always in flux, it's usually full of trees, and even when cut they come back, most walk here, the local pukes :) can sneak it with good water. Fishbowl  is next, I think more pictures have been taken here, than any other rapid on the creek, at high water it's like running a slide into a low head dam. Ropes are a must here. I said ropes not rope.                                                                                      Revelations                                                                                  Photos by Nick Murphy of Paul Hubbard         Knocking on Heaven's door is right before the big boy, Stairway to Heaven. Stairway to Heaven is over before it started if you run it. Most missed lines here because it is misjudged on speed. It's back breaker too, if you get off line. It ruined Justin Howard's paddling career. A full face is your friend here. I have witness Bo Eikens boat imploded here. If you have any kind of back issues. Walk it on river left beside the flow. Portaging is beaaach here. About 18" on the put-in gage and it gets sketchy and you will start thinking. What is the lesser of two evils. Running it? or Walking it :) The Beginning of Stairway to Heaven....Paddler Paul Hubbard.................................................................................             Photo by Will Pruett............................ Cosmic trigger is next you can run it on river right BUT with it being right after Stairway it can accumulate trees. It should be named God's tooth pick holder. If this is the first trip of the season this must be scouted. Big Bang comes up ,you can boof on the far far right side if you are worthy. This was first run by Tracy Clapp after flipping and being flushed and rolling up just in time and nailing it. This rapid has also hurt people's back. Not long ago Terry Smith broke his back here. I hate this rapid to no end, and I'm not the only one. Most jump off the cliff on river left instead of the running Big Bang. I always needed a push off the cliff, not having the gonads to jump. It sucks and goes against all reasoning when you jump. Did I mention it sucks. Revelation comes up next it's a series of 3 drops you need ropes here also. It is needed, set up ropes. Momentary Lapse of Reason is great name for this boofable fun drop. Armageddon comes up next and to me it's the most fun of the rapids, it tight, boney , and fast boating all rolled up into one. Gargoyle is a cool little drop that is named perfect. It's a driving slot type drop, with a Gargoyle f-up rock in bottom of the drop that if landed wrong breaks hulls. Omega is sieved out rapid near the end this section is like Allen Creek ,and the boogie boating starts. Keep an eye on your group. I personally think this is the section that is going to hurt someone...people running out of adrenaline and not watching out for each other. The takeout...be mindful of the land owners and act accordingly.                                                                           Stairway to Heaven                                                                                     Photos by Nick Murphy of Paul Hubbard       Video:   Here is great video From Paul Hubbard showing you the run :                 This page is dedicated to the memory of Ron Stewart.       Bear Creek was his baby, he scouted it back in the day, later took a chainsaw and cleared out the run. While still a secret he took Doug Wellman with him, Doug was impressed with run. They were so impressed together that they named many of the rapids while on Doug's initial hike. With Ron's academic background we have the names of Omega, Big Bang, Cosmic Trigger and many others. Later, access issues developed due to the word getting out about Bear Creek, after an AW article was published shortly after Ron and Doug's First Descent. For a short time, boating was even banned. Ron once again, stepped up and worked with the local rangers of the park. We have access today thanks to Ron's hard work