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Where can the public get on the Cartecay River?

The short answer

Only one public launch on the Cartecay River in Gilmer County, Georgia, is confirmed by an official source: the Georgia DNR canoe/kayak launch on the Rich Mountain WMA Cartecay Tract, at the end of Canoe Launch Road off Ga. 52. You need a Georgia hunting or fishing license or a Lands Pass. The outfitter's put-ins are for customers, and no bridge is confirmed public.

Last checked October 18, 2026

An ultra-wide summer view of a shallow river: pale granite ledges and a white-water rapid on the left, a calm green-brown pool in the middle under a wall of leafy trees, and on the right a sandy rock bank where two children in helmets and life jackets ready a black inner tube beside yellow and red kayaks and two adults.
Photo: Brian McInturff, CC BY-SA 3.0

Only one public launch on the Cartecay River in Gilmer County, Georgia, is confirmed by an official source: the Georgia DNR canoe and kayak launch on the Rich Mountain WMA Cartecay Tract. Every other spot is a private business’s put-in for its own customers, a place whose status no official source confirms, or a park on a different river. Most of the banks are private land.

The public launch: Rich Mountain WMA, Cartecay Tract

The Cartecay Tract is a 2,142-acre Georgia DNR property (Georgia DNR WRD). DNR lists canoe access among its facilities, and its tract map (revised July 29, 2021) marks a canoe/kayak launch reached by Canoe Launch Road off Highway 52 (Georgia DNR WRD). Georgia Rivers, which started Paddle Georgia 2026 there, calls it a state-maintained DNR launch site on the Cartecay (Georgia Rivers).

To get there, take Ga. 52 east from Ellijay, turn right on Canoe Launch Road (look for the signs for the Gilmer County Animal Shelter), and go 0.8 mile, per Georgia Rivers’ directions. You need a Georgia hunting license, fishing license or Lands Pass to use the tract (Georgia DNR WRD). The DNR Region 1 office number listed for it is 706-295-6041. DNR also says the tract’s trails close before 10 a.m. during deer, bear and turkey seasons (Georgia DNR WRD). Don’t use the Cherrylog address on DNR’s WMA page for directions; it belongs to the wider Rich Mountain WMA, not this launch.

The launch sits near river mile 13.9 on the profile we measured for this guide. American Whitewater uses it as the take-out for its Lower Cartecay run. Below it the river runs about 5.2 more miles to the Ellijay confluence, and we found no official public take-out on that stretch.

Every access point, and who controls it

River miles are measured along the mapped river for this guide, from the creek junction at mile 0 to the Ellijay confluence at mile 19.2. “Unknown” means no official source we found says the spot is public, so treat it as private.

Place River mile Status What the sources say
Tickanetley-Rolston creek junction 0 Private, no access Where the Cartecay begins, per USGS GNIS. Private land.
Holt Bridge Road bridge 4.1 Unknown A county road bridge. No official source names it as access.
Highway 52 East bridge 5.5 Unknown Georgia Wild Trout says trout are stocked along the river’s bridges; no official source names this one as access.
Cartecay River Experience base, 2400 Hwy 52 East Not mapped Private business Lazy River put-in for rental customers, Memorial Day to Labor Day. Own-boat shuttle $7 cash or $10 by card (Cartecay River Experience).
Cartecay River Experience Adventure put-in, 1554 Lower Cartecay Road Not mapped Private business For customers; paddlers with their own boats pay the shuttle fee (Cartecay River Experience).
Lower Cartecay Road bridge 6.8 Unknown American Whitewater’s Middle Cartecay put-in, with a river-left put-in managed by a commercial outfitter. OpenStreetMap marks the bridge closed: don’t plan to drive across it.
Mulkey Road take-out (Blackberry Mountain Drive bridge) 9.1 Unknown AW’s Middle take-out and Lower put-in. Limited parking; the lot is closed Friday to Monday, May 15 to September 15 (American Whitewater). Ownership not confirmed.
Clear Creek confluence 11.0 Unknown Clear Creek joins at the base of Clear Creek Falls (American Whitewater).
Blackberry Mountain Road bridge On Clear Creek, not the Cartecay Unknown Georgia Wild Trout says Clear Creek is stocked here, and AW uses it as a Clear Creek put-in. Not confirmed public.
Rich Mountain WMA canoe/kayak launch 13.9 Public (Georgia DNR) Hunting license, fishing license or Lands Pass required.
USGS gauge 02379500 17.3 Not an access point The flow and stage gauge on Ga. 52.
Cartecay-Ellijay confluence 19.2 Unknown The Cartecay ends and the Coosawattee begins. No official public access point is published here.
Reel ‘Em In “Farm on the Cartecay” Not published Private business Guided, paid fly-fishing trips only.
Harrison Park, Ellijay Not on the Cartecay Public city park A 25.94-acre city park beside the Ellijay River (City of Ellijay).
Gilmer County River Park Not on the Cartecay County park On the Coosawattee River, per the New Georgia Encyclopedia (New Georgia Encyclopedia).

There is no Cartecay River Park

People search for one, but we found no park by that name. Harrison Park is a City of Ellijay park beside the Ellijay River, about a kilometer from the Cartecay. The county’s River Park, a recreation and picnicking complex, is on the Coosawattee. Neither one puts you on the Cartecay.

Bridges are not access

A road bridge over the river is not a public launch. No official source we found names any Cartecay bridge as public access, and most of the banks on either side are private. Don’t park on a shoulder and climb down to the water. The Lower Cartecay Road bridge has a second problem: OpenStreetMap marks it closed, so leave it out of your shuttle plan.

In 2001 American Whitewater reported that River Right Outfitters, with AW’s help, had leased a new free public put-in on the Cartecay (American Whitewater). That is history. We found nothing showing the arrangement exists today.

Why the banks are off limits

Three sources say the same thing. Cartecay River Experience tells tubers there are no places to get out along its float because both sides of the river are privately owned (Cartecay River Experience). American Whitewater says most banks along the Middle Cartecay are private property (American Whitewater). Georgia DNR warns that many trout streams are on private land and that anglers need permission before entering it (GA DNR WRD). Our article on who owns the banks of the Cartecay goes deeper.

The access points, mile by mile

The cards below cover the DNR launch and tract and AW’s put-in and take-out, each with its source. The measured river profile follows, and the full river map has every pin. For trips from these spots, see kayaking and paddling, fishing and tubing.

  • Bridge

    Lower Cartecay Road bridge (American Whitewater Middle Cartecay put-in)

    American Whitewater names this bridge as the Middle Cartecay put-in and says a river-left put-in here is run by a commercial outfitter; no official source calls it public access, and OSM marks the bridge closed.

    Source: American Whitewater, checked Oct 18, 2026

  • Take-out

    Mulkey Road take-out at the Blackberry Mountain Drive bridge (Stegall Mill Road / "Blackberry")

    American Whitewater's take-out for the Middle Cartecay and put-in for the Lower, just below Blackberry Falls on river right; parking is limited and the lot is closed Friday-Monday in summer. Ownership/public status not confirmed by an official source.

    • AW: parking lot closed Friday-Monday, May 15-Sept 15

    Source: American Whitewater, checked Oct 18, 2026

  • Put-in

    Rich Mountain WMA: Cartecay Tract canoe/kayak launch (DNR / "WMA take-out")

    The one state-run public access on the Cartecay: a Georgia DNR canoe/kayak launch on the 2,142-acre Cartecay Tract, used as the take-out for the Lower Cartecay and as the Paddle Georgia 2026 start.

    • Georgia hunting license, fishing license, or Lands Pass required for land access
    • End of Canoe Launch Road off Ga. 52 east of Ellijay (follow Gilmer County Animal Shelter signs)
    • 706-295-6041 (DNR Region 1 office)

    Source: Georgia DNR WRD Cartecay Tract page and map; Georgia Rivers Paddle Georgia 2026 page, checked Oct 18, 2026

  • Trailhead

    Rich Mountain WMA: Cartecay Tract (archery range and trails)

    DNR wildlife management area beside the river with hiking, biking and horse trails, archery hunting (deer and bear archery only), river fishing and canoe access; trails close before 10 a.m. in deer, bear and turkey seasons.

    • Archery range daily sunrise-sunset; unstaffed
    • Hunting license, fishing license, or Lands Pass
    • 106 Brett Dickey Memorial Drive, Ellijay, GA 30536
    • 706-295-6041

    Source: Georgia DNR, checked Oct 18, 2026

Long profile of the Cartecay River: 19.2 miles from the upstream end of the mapped river to the Ellijay confluence Ground elevation along the river falls from about 1,572 feet at mile 0 to about 1,234 feet where it meets the Ellijay River, a drop of about 338 feet. Stations mark sourced places by river mile. 1,2001,2501,3001,3501,4001,4501,5001,5501,600Mile 024681012141618 Tickanetley + Rolstonmi 0.0Holt Bridge Rdmi 4.1Hwy 52 bridgemi 5.5Lower Cartecay Rdmi 6.9Mulkey Rd take-outmi 9.1Clear Creekmi 11.0DNR launch (WMA)mi 13.9USGS gagemi 17.3Ellijay confluencemi 19.2
Measured for this guide: ground elevation every quarter mile along the river's OpenStreetMap line, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program (Elevation Point Query Service), lightly smoothed. Vertical scale is exaggerated. River miles are measured along the mapped line from its upstream end, where Tickanetley Creek's mapped line ends.
  1. 0.0river mileTickanetley-Rolston confluence (head of the Cartecay) Tickanetley and Rolston creeks join and the Cartecay begins (USGS GNIS). Private land.
  2. 4.1river mileHolt Bridge Road bridge over the Cartecay
  3. 5.5river mileHighway 52 East bridge over the Cartecay (near Cartecay community)
  4. 6.9river mileLower Cartecay Road bridge (American Whitewater Middle Cartecay put-in) American Whitewater's Middle Cartecay put-in; the river-left put-in is run by a commercial outfitter.
  5. 9.1river mileMulkey Road take-out at the Blackberry Mountain Drive bridge (Stegall Mill Road / "Blackberry") Take-out below Blackberry Falls per American Whitewater; parking limited, ownership not confirmed.
  6. 11.0river mileClear Creek confluence (base of Clear Creek Falls) Clear Creek joins; upstream of here the watershed is Primary Trout Waters.
  7. 13.9river mileRich Mountain WMA: Cartecay Tract canoe/kayak launch (DNR / "WMA take-out") Georgia DNR canoe/kayak launch on the Rich Mountain WMA Cartecay Tract: the one public launch an official source confirms. License or Lands Pass required.
  8. 17.3river mileUSGS gauge 02379500, Cartecay River near Ellijay USGS 02379500, the flow reading on this site.
  9. 19.2river mileCartecay-Ellijay confluence (start of the Coosawattee River) Meets the Ellijay River; the Coosawattee begins.

Questions people ask

Is there public access to the Cartecay River?

One public launch is confirmed by an official source: the canoe access Georgia DNR lists on its Rich Mountain WMA Cartecay Tract, where canoeing and river fishing are listed activities. Most other banks are private land.

Source: Georgia DNR WRD, checked Oct 18, 2026

How do you get to the DNR canoe launch on the Cartecay?

Take Ga. 52 east from Ellijay, turn right on Canoe Launch Road (look for signs for the Gilmer County Animal Shelter) and go 0.8 mile, according to Georgia Rivers' directions for Paddle Georgia 2026.

Source: Georgia Rivers, checked Oct 18, 2026

Do you need a license or pass to use the Cartecay launch?

Yes. To use the Rich Mountain WMA Cartecay Tract, Georgia DNR says visitors need a Georgia hunting license, fishing license or Lands Pass.

Source: Georgia DNR WRD, checked Oct 18, 2026

Is there a Cartecay River Park?

No. We found no park by that name. The county's River Park is on the Coosawattee River, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, and Harrison Park in Ellijay sits beside the Ellijay River.

Source: New Georgia Encyclopedia, checked Oct 18, 2026

Can you get in the Cartecay at a bridge?

No official source names any Cartecay bridge as public access, and American Whitewater says most banks along the Middle Cartecay are private property. Use the DNR launch, or an outfitter's put-in as its customer.

Source: American Whitewater, checked Oct 18, 2026

Can you park at the Mulkey Road take-out?

American Whitewater says parking at the Mulkey Road take-out below Blackberry Falls is limited and that the lot is closed Friday through Monday from May 15 to September 15. We could not confirm who owns the lot.

Source: American Whitewater, checked Oct 18, 2026

Living on the river

Thinking about land or a home on the Cartecay? Start with people who know North Georgia.

Gold Peach Realty is the North Georgia brokerage behind this guide. Riverfront here is private land, with floodplain maps, stream buffers and septic rules that shape what you can build. If a day on the river has you thinking about a place near it, our agents will walk you through what is for sale and what to check first.

Visit Gold Peach Realty Call Gold Peach Realty (770) 283-1223

What owning riverfront here means · Selling a home near the lake?