About this guide Local, independent, obsessed with this river.

Updated September 22, 2026

Why this site exists

We have been watching this stretch of river since before the rapids came back. In August 2012 we walked the Columbus riverfront and photographed the old mill dams mid-demolition, the cranes on the riverbed, and the first rapids breaking free below the Eagle & Phenix mills. Many of those photos appear on this site, including in the story of the river.

Since then the course has become one of the most talked-about whitewater runs in the country, but information for first-time visitors is scattered across outfitter pages, tourism sites and paddling forums. This guide puts it in one place: what each trip is like, where every rapid is, how the dam changes the river, and how to plan a weekend around it.

How we research

• Primary sources first. Trip details, ages and policies come from the outfitter's published pages. Rapid descriptions draw on the outfitter's river-features guide and American Whitewater's river description.
• History from reporting and records. Dam and restoration facts come from Georgia Public Broadcasting, Alabama Living, Wikipedia's documented records and local tourism sources. See the sources on each page and on Quick facts.
• Dated and reviewed. Pages show when they were last reviewed. We re-check trip details each season.
• Honest about uncertainty. Where sources disagree, such as whether Cutbait is Class IV or V, we say so.

How the site is funded

Links to the outfitter carry tracking tags so they can see which visitors came from this guide, and we may earn referral compensation. That never changes what you pay. Hotels and restaurants we recommend do not pay us. Full details are on our disclosure page.

Corrections

Rivers, prices and policies change. If you spot something out of date, email info@whitewatercolumbus.com or use the contact form and we will fix it.