We need
your pictures, and articles, you don't need to
know HTML or other computer skills, submit your
articles via email and we will post it here! As
long as you know how to e-mail we can handle the
rest..
Our goal
is to get information out as easily as possible
Also you will get full credit with your name on
the article just like you would in a magazine.
Please submit your pictures for picture of the
month.
We are needing a team of gauge
checkers to help give us accurate readings for
the flowpage. It's close but we want perfect.
Please check the Forum Section
Rock Creek-Lula Lake Land Trust
Lookout Mountain Georgia
Water Quality (1 bad 3 good)
Scenery (1 bad 3 good)
Maps:
Watershed Map (to find location and size of creek)
Click Here
Special thanks to Steve Zerfos for making the map.
This page is sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Canoe Club , and is due in part to their generous $1000 dollar donation to the Lula Lake Land Trust. Click on the T.V.C.C. logo to know more about this organization. Their donation helps keep access to this great resource.
Click on the logo to learn more.
No access for boating is allowed on the Open Gate Days (first and last Sat of every month).
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY?
It's because the rules weren't followed and we lost boating days!
You have to follow the rules, if not we will lose ALL boating days it's that simple YOU MUST FOLLOW THE RULES.
"I think a good drop off for the signed forms would be the South gate-there is a small wooden box on the entrance sign. When a group comes out, only one member of the group needs to contact me, but everyone will need to sign the form. If I cant be there to open gate, I will leave a key."
Permission Form Download in (WORD DOC) : CLICK HERE
Do you like paddling Rock Creek? You can make a donation to the land trust in any amount.
From the Land Trust webpage: For more information. Click Here
The Lula Lake Land Trust is growing every day. Not just as a protected landscape but also with the numbers of people coming through our gates. This year we have had groups visit the Lula Lake Land Trust from The Fairyland School, Boy Scout Troops, The Tennessee Aquarium, and The Nature Center, to name a few. The programs that we provide for these and other groups need your financial support today.
With more than 4,000 acres of protected land we are opening our gates more and more every year and want to continue to do this. That is why we need your donation today.
Please consider these different gift suggestions and become a Steward of the Trust today.
$50 Rhododendron
$100 Mountain Laurel
$250 American Chestnut
$500 Flame Azalea
Class V.1
With tough mandatory portages not for the weak hearted.
Rules to Paddling Lula Lake/Rock Creek:
No access for boating is allowed on the Open Gate Days (first and last Sat of every month).
It is our intent to self-police ourselves and show that paddlers can be trusted
and we can be great land stewards, even better than the hikers :)
The "unwritten rules" of Lula Lake: (These aren't meant to be broken)
1. YOU MUST GET PERMISSION FROM THE PARK RANGERS FIRST.
Without out it, go somewhere else and try another day.
2. YOU MUST HAVE A SMALL GROUP
More that six is too much.
3. HAVE A SET SHUTTLE.
Don't leave a car at the top. If you do, take the racks off and park away from
the gate and Land Trust.
4. DO NOT POACH THIS RUN.
5. IF YOU ARE GROUP BEHIND AND SEE A GROUP PUTTING ON BEFORE YOU EVEN IF YOU HAVE PERMISSION GO TO (BEAR CREEK?) or somewhere else. , IT WILL BE THERE ANOTHER DAY. Remember discretion
is our friend.
6. TAKE A MESH BAG AND HAUL TRASH OUT FOR THE RANGERS.
Take out an air bag, and grab all the plastic coke bottles you can.
Everyone in your group must do this. We can get trash that the Rangers can't.
7. TRY NOT TO PADDLE ON A DAY THAT IS OPEN TO THE DAY HIKERS, IF SO GET PERMISSION AND BE DISCREET.
We do not need to be the entertainment for the day. Discretion is our friend.
8. TO REPEAT YOU MUST HAVE PERMISSION FIRST from the Rangers.
9 THIS A CLASS V RUN! Do you have the skills? This isn't a run to find out on. This isn't a run
to prove to your friends or yourself if you have what it takes.
10. At Lula Falls portage quickly and discreetly , place rocks back that the hikers displace.
11. Sign the waiver provided by the Park Rangers. Don't be that guy.
12. Once run, do not post on a blog, video upload or internet board the name or date of the run. Remember discretion is
our friend.
13. Get dressed at the take-out and perform a hot assault for your put-in. Get going!
14. Line up your permission days before the rain event not the day of. This is the day of the internet
and Weather Channel, you know if it's going to rain or not, plan it out and get permission beforehand.
It's better to get skunked on the rain then to show up unannounced.
15. DO NOT RUN THE FIRST WATERFALL, THE LAND TRUST DOES NOT WANT US TO RUN IT. THIS IS PART OF THE AGREEMENT DO NOT VIOLATE THEIR TRUST.
16. If it gets out of hand , the Land trust Board of Directors can vote on us not being there.
And a valuable beautiful resource will taken away from us. PLEASE DO NOT BE THAT GUY! The
paddling community is a small one. No one wants that reputation.
17. DO NOT DRAG your boat. It leaves plastic remember to leave no trace.
18. No Parking on the Lula Lake Road
Rock Creek (Lula Lake) General Overviews:
Is a nice run, that use to not be nice, the Davenport Family has helped protect the run, back in my days it was used a dump for old cars. Now it has been cleaned up and rejunivated itself through the hard work of others. Rock Creek also use to be a kayakers poaching ground and it sucked, you felt like you were stealing.
Now times are better , the first and last Saturday of the month, you can access the area. They have also given permission when asked for after a big rain event. YOU HAVE TO ASK. They are very cool people who get it, and want to help as long you help protect the run.
Yeah it seems like a pain in the butt to ask, but if you saw how the land use to be, I for one love the hassle. The Lula Trust has done a great job. It beats a housing development any day.
From Matthew Wallace:
I've done the run 4 times now. I would discourage a Class IV boater from going in there at the levels we did it at. I felt it was significantly harder than Cain but easier than the Bear. I thought it was also harder than Henderson and Little Possum. I thought it was on par with Suck at good water, but the remoteness makes it more consequential and difficult. . You can't just hike to the road. There are 2 logs in the run. If they are both removed, We think this run could be done with 2 small portages (not including the 100fter). Just my opinion though. .
We really need to be careful and work with the land trust because I was told if it got out of hand with too many people coming in there, people wrecking the property , leaving trash, or just being generally disrespectful of the area they wouldn't hesitate shutting it back down. As a rule we have tried to have a shuttle driver and not left a car in the gate. We also made sure to change into our gear before we got to the trust, esp since one of our runs were on an open gate day. This is probably my favorite runs in Chattanooga.
No access for boating is allowed on the Open Gate Days (first and last Sat of every month).
Paddlers' Gage:
This is at the takeout
The gage is dialed in
minus <2"-1" is a E.L.F. Run
0= Just that...it's the min.
6" = Med fun level
1ft it pushy and you need to know the lines
1 ft plus...its a A-Team run
This gage is gone from the flood of Spring 2010
Here is the new gage, read the right side of the tick/hash marks due to the pole leaning. Painting a gage was the best method, since a staff paddler's gage was destroyed by strainers.
Here is the take-out.
OVERVIEW:
Here is my take on Rock Creek, it is a classic in every sense of the word.This one runs a lot when other creeks in the area aren't ,its watershed is large, protected and clean.In some parts it will remind you of Morgan Creek, due to it's portages and one of the slide drops in the middle section of the run, looks and feels like it was stolen from the Morgan Creek gorge.
Also some of it will remind you of the mank and intimacy of Suck Creek, the congestion of Miller Creek., and the multi-move open lines of Wolf Creek (Outside Little River Canyon)Here is where this run differs. A class V, boater can paddle this. IF he is with a solid Class V group. By a Class V boater, I mean just that.Left his ego at home and can rescue someone in case it hits the fan instead of standing around while the others do the work. A group of more than 6 here will get someone hurt.
This is not a Class IV run, it's hard , technical and manky. But in some parts, there are pools but they don't last long, and swimming some parts might end a paddling career. And just when you take anymore of the portages, it lets you off the hook by losing its gradient. Elbow pads and a Fullface are very recommended.
A SIDE NOTE:
You can paddle this area for the weekend if the stars align right.
Day One:
You could paddle Bear Creek, until it drops out.
Day Two:
Once it drops out Rock Creek is ready to paddle and will be at an optimum level.
Day Three:
Once Rock Creek drops out you can go paddle just over the state line in Alabama and hit Miller Creek.
Camping:
You can camp at Cloudland Canyon over at Bear Creek and make it your base camp with hot showers. Life doesn't get any better than this.
No access for boating is allowed on the Open Gate Days (first and last Sat of every month).
The Run
For the first 2.5 miles, it's Class I paddling, time to catch up with your buddies, and reflect. Then after you enter the Lula Lake Land Trust. The fun and games are over.
Then once you see the footbridge. GET OUT and scout. This drop will go, paddle it off the left side, at a 11:00 o' clock angle of attack. You will hit rock.
Then get out and portage the big one, once you see it, while walking on the foot path, look for a side trail heading down. From here, CARRY...DON'T DRAG your boat. Down to the creek. The walk down is very similar to the Town Creek put-in. Tread Lightly here, and try to limit erosion. We are ambassadors to our sport on how we act, and guests
of the Land Trust . Do not abuse this. Take your time, and stack mis-placed rock from the hikers on your way down to help the rangers and stop erosion.
Goodwill goes a long way, besides it's the right thing to do.
From here it's straight on creeking, Blind drops abound, mank with moves and eddy hopping and with some portages that can feel epic. Did I mention this run is classic.
A special thank you, for the Land Trust giving permission to our group to let us explore and experience this beautiful place. Please do not poach this run. The Land Trust is a great
resource, who have our same interests at heart. Also this is a great place to take your kids to instill protection of the environment.
This video shows footage prior to the banning of running the first waterfall and has been left in the video so you can see the waterfall being run for the sake of historical purposes. PLEASE WALK THIS DROP IT IS NOW ILLEGAL to paddle this waterfall
Photo by Phil Foti of paddler Jeremy Pou staged and ready to go.
No access for boating is allowed on the Open Gate Days (first and last Sat of every month).
One of the nice slots in the beginning section..................................................................................................................................
Photo by Phil Foti of paddler Tim Laramore
One of the fun easy rapids in the beginning...................................................................................................................................
Photo by Phil Foti
Then the boofs, mank and slots start...............................................................................................................................................
. Picture of paddler Sean Richards
Picture of Phil Foti getting a OC-1 First Descent on Rock Creek
No access for boating is allowed on the Open Gate Days (first and last Sat of every month).
Then it starts to get hairy, this picture does this rapid no justice....................................................................................................
Paddler Phil Foti
Then the slide this thing is BIG........................................................................................................................................................
Rapid.....Insurance Bluff
Photo of Tim Laramore
No access for boating is allowed on the Open Gate Days (first and last Sat of every month).
Photo of paddler Sean Richards
Bottom picture of the slide.............................................................................................................................................................
Photo of Nathan Taylor
Picture of the the top Turtle Rapid...this is a manky rapid, that compares to Suck, but not as open...........................................
Paddler Phil Foti
No access for boating is allowed on the Open Gate Days (first and last Sat of every month).
Picture of the bottom of Turtle Rapid..............................................................................................................................................
Paddler Tim Laramore, Photo by Phil Foti
Typical slot in the bottom section...................................................................................................................................................
Picture of paddler Jose Jimenez Photo by Phil Foti
No access for boating is allowed on the Open Gate Days (first and last Sat of every month).
The flatwater section and boy will you be glad to see it :) ...........................................................................................................
***Warning label***
Whitewater
paddling is VERY Dangerous, and you should get
instruction before ever attempting even to paddle
flatwater. One of contributors to this web site
has personally helped bury 3 kayaking friends, this
isn't a joke. Whitewater paddling can ruin your
life through accidents and can effect your family
and friends throughout a lifetime.
The
information on this page is incomplete,
inaccurate, and very unreliable. Use
with caution. Whitewater paddling is a
dangerous sport and the information here is not a
substitute for actual knowledge and skill.
The authors are not liable for your actions. Go
ahead and kill yourself if you want to, but don't
blame others for you actions and decisions that you
will make on and off the river.
***Warning
label***
Our hemlocks
are dying on the ridge due to the woolly adelgid
infestation. You can find out more at the Save
Our Hemlocks website:
http://www.saveourhemlocks.org/
The Lula Lake Land Trust is growing every day. Not just as a protected landscape but also with the numbers of people coming through our gates. This year we have had groups visit the Lula Lake Land Trust from The Fairyland School, Boy Scout Troops, The Tennessee Aquarium, and The Nature Center, to name a few. The programs that we provide for these and other groups need your financial support today. 
