Georgia Natural Wonder #88 - Copper Mine & Rapids Chestatee River. 3,002

[Top Row Dawg]

Georgia Natural Wonder #88 -Copper Mine & Rapids Chestatee River

We have another Georgia Natural Wonder that is on private property so many of us will never see it. But years ago we were able to spend time exploring this spot, the Pyrite / Copper Mine and Copper Mine Rapids on the Chestatee River. Today there is a big old fence and the best way to see the spot is from a float down the Chestatee River.


Lower Tunnel, 1917. Pyrite mines located near Dahlonega on the Chestatee River.

In the late 1800's, almost all the sulfuric acid in the U.S. was made from imported sulfur. Mr. N.P, Pratt began looking for pyrite deposits to use in place of sulfur. He looked all across Georgia and Alabama. We he heard about this abandoned Copper mine in Dahlonega he did test and found it just right. At the height of its activity from 1917 – 1919, more than 200 men worked at the mining site which was eventually dubbed “Chestatee”,  take this fascinating link to old PDF Newspaper article about site.They created a large log dam, a power house, a mill for the processing of ore.


They had to crush a lot of ore.

They had a commissary, homes for the families of miners, and a large boarding house for single employees. The town even had its own post office, barber shop, and school.


Houses for workers in mine cottages.

As more and more of the source for European sulfur was cut off by the war, America developed its own resources. Workers emerging from the mill and mines covered in fine powdery dust. They jumped in the Chestatee every day to clean off.



Very active built up during World War I, but once the war ended large amounts of sulfuric acid were no longer needed for munitions. The mine was never the same. Advances in munitions never called for Pyrite after World War I.



For a while the quarry and mill kept operations because its harder than granite "Blue Billy" rock was quarried for highway paving and other use, fertilizer.



Once the State Highway Commission stopped buying the ore, and the Florida Highway contract was cancelled, the Mine closed in 1930.



Even people that worked there have a hard time recalling the layout as the forest has reclaimed the whole site.


This is what the mine looks like after 90 years without operation.


This is a current view of one of the old bridges over the Chestatee River at the copper mines.

Now as a Georgia Natural Wonder, I recall with wonder my son and nephew exploring the mine and river back in the day.



We saw the metal bridge that replaced the wooden bridge that was burned. The new highway bypasses the site today.



We walked all through the big old mine shaft.



It was as big as Stegman Coliseum.



Real hard to light inside how massive the room was.


Lot of locals have partied in here through the decades.


It's 1918 again.


The Copper Mine rapids raging on the Chestatee.


Looking at these rapids I knew I had to return someday.



A few years later, we were spending a week in Helen looking for something to do, and I suggested a visit to this spot with my parents and daughters and nieces.



A motorcycle gang and chicks found the spot too. It was so funny seeing pop drinking beer and talking with this big old tattooed bearded biker dude as they tailgated for hours by the rapids.



Top Row Dawg ventured out on the river with grand dad's expensive Nikon camera for some professional shots of these rapids.

American Whitewater desribes the Copper Mine rapids as a three-level drop, the first of which is the most challenging. At normal water levels, the usual path is slightly to the left of rock located just to the right of midstream.



Class III+ Copper Mine, about 100 yards below the bridge, should be scouted. If you prefer to take out before Copper Mine, stay to the right of the small island on river left just below the bridge, then turn left just below the island and take out at the wash.


Someone's daughter splashed out as my niece leads the way.



Over the ledge.



Copper Mine consists of three ledges, of which the first is the most challenging.



The usual run is angling left, just to the left of the boulder slightly right of center, but other routes are possible.


Kayak optional.


The 1st ledge.


Graffiti all over the rocks, Biker dude hangout. But a true Natural Wonder of Georgia.

The usual route for the two lower ledges is on river right.




Dahlonega is missing out on a fun little city or county park here.


The joys of whitewater tubing.


TRD waist deep in the pool, getting these action photos.


Exclusive to the HOTD, these images.


Chestatee not too rough for little girls.

The take-out is shortly below Copper Mine, around the small point on river right. Take the path back to the bridge (don't go up the road to the left or south - its fenced at the top). Or go back above the rapid to run it again.



An interesting feature at the take-out is the old copper mine the rapid is named for. The mine entrance is on river left near the end of the rapid. In the 1970's, a concert was held in the large chamber reached via that entrance.



Though rarely or never patrolled, the entire left bank is private property. Please do not litter, damage the property in any way or linger overlong.

DIRECTIONS:

Take Highway 400 to where it ends at Highway 60 in Lumpkin County. Continue straight on the two-lane road, through the stoplight at the Highway 52 intersection. The Mine and rapid is at the bridge about .8 mile beyond that intersection. The dirt road down to the river left bank is now blocked by a fence, so parking is roadside only. The path to/from the take-outs above and below Copper Mine rapid begins under the bridge. Today's GNW gal is sporting some toe while toting a tube.