Up The River Outfitters

Upon reading the recent reviews for Up the River, I was compelled to leave a review as well. I went there on May 29^th to go tubing. It is under new management and it is horrible! It seemed that they had no idea what was going on and when we would ask them questions, they were horribly rude! They told us there would be a 30 minute wait. After we waited for about 40 minutes we asked them how much longer and they said we were waiting on the next bus. The next bus came and we were not put on it. When we asked again what was going on, they said there was not enough room on the bus. There were about 10 empty seats on that bus by the way. We overheard them saying to eachother that they had run out of tubes. So they sold us a tube rental and did not even have tubes to rent. Then they tried to put us in bottomless tubes when we had asked for the other kind. We asked if we could get a discount after waiting for an hour and then they wanted to give us tubes without bottoms and they said no. We ended up being so mad that we asked for a refund. They completely wasted our time and then had the nerve to be shockingly rude about it.
And now it seems they are putting people in the water and completely ignoring the dam release times. People should not be put in the water anywhere near the dam release times! I hope everyone steers clear of this place and I hope they end up paying for the danger they have put people in in the past few weeks.

Please, please read the recent reviews before tubing here. This stretch of the Chattahoochee can change quickly from a serene slow moving stream to a swift and treacherous river when water is released and is very, very cold (44 to 58 degrees YEAR ROUND). If you hear sirens along this stretch of water the army corps of engineers site says you are to EXIT the river. If you are in a tube when this rise happens, you are in danger. A 9 year-​old girl just died yesterday in a tubing accident which occured when she and her group were caught in the river during the relase and many others have been rescued since spring. Please be careful, check the water release time by calling 770−945−1466. Do not count on anyone else to do this for you and be aware of how long your tube ride will be from the dam so that you can allow for plenty of time to be out of the river before the water is released.

UTRO Paintball is awesome, nothing but good fun. It is a safe environment with young people doing something fun outdoors instead of sitting inside. The cost is pretty good 20 $ for unlimited play on weekdays and 25 $ on Sat and Sun. You can bring your own food and there are vending machines inside.
The paintball courses are pretty good, they have a suburban course with buildings and tons of cover. It can still get intense when a lot of people play, so it’s pretty fun. I think everyone would have a fun time. The staff is really courteous and informative regarding the rules and safety of the customers. Ask for Larry, he is the man to see. UTRO PAINTBALL = Win.
They have a good facebook page:

This was an interesting adventure. I googled canoeing in GA and I was sent to website of an illegal canoe operation. My girlfriend and I thought that it looked fishy… no pun… we decided to look around. We rolled down to the park area and found an «Up the River» staff member. The staff member was helpful and he directed my girlfriend and I to their check in office.
We made it to the Up The River Outfitters and received great service and had a great time. All of the associates were professional and prompt with their drop off times and pick up times. I will visit again and I will spread the word to my friends. I’d like to try kayaking next. I had a blast, great way to spend the day with someone special.
*pack a cooler with cold beverages and some trail mix and you’re good.

I was on vacation on June, and for me it was pretty awsome! I loved it, enjoyed it! I was with my family we were 7 people, and we did the river tubing together to each other, singing, chatting and having a really good time! I really recomended it… the water its dam cold! but with the 3 hours you later forget it.
Next time its good to have with us, pop or water!

LOVE THIS!!! I’ve dont this 3 times and it’s a blast. We’ve taken 3 different couples with us and its great to watch them bicker when someone isnt paddling properly. It’s great wildlife and great fun in the sun. A definate must do!

I looooved «Shooting the Hooch.» I just moved to Atlanta a few weeks ago and have been to Up the River Outfitters TWICE — once tubing and once kayaking. Yes, the river is cold, but it definitely feels refreshing on a hot summer day! At one point I even jumped into the water just to cool off.
I went on a 3 hour tubing trip one week and a 3 hour kayaking trip the next. While tubing was fun (and would be even more fun had we brought more refreshments), kayaking was definitely the better of the two experiences. The river moves pretty slowly so kayaking helps pick up the pace and kind of gives you the feeling that you are getting some exercise. Plus, the kayaking portion of the river brings you over a couple of waterfalls /​Class 1 rapids which is a welcome change from the ripples found in the tubing expedition. Even if you haven’t kayaked before you can probably handle it!
My one complaint is that finding the actual location of the Outfitters is a bit difficult. We drove around for awhile trying to find Buford Dr (the road changes names a number of times once you get off of I-​985), but the trip is definitely worth it! The staff is really great, too — Say hi to Reggie if you go!

My husband and I and a few friends went kayaking here a few weeks ago and had a blast! The day that we were there (it was a weekday) almost no one else was around. We saw only a few fishermen and a few kids hanging (who mooned us, by the way) out at the edge of one part of the river. We wished that the river had more rapids, but oh well, the river was sooo beautiful and crystal clear! No one seemed to care that we were drinking and the boys driving the van were hysterically funny and super nice to us.
It was very cheap to go kayaking. I can’t remember how much, though. My biggest piece of advice is to wear sunscreen, especially on the front of your lower legs!!! We were so sunburned we could hardly walk!

I had been tubing before on Lake Michigan but, never in a river and never in the HOOCH! (I love saying that!) Up the River Outfitters hosts excursions around Georgia. This venue is North of Atlanta and worth the short drive.
Tubing is best in the Summer on a Hot day especially since the Chattahoochee is so cold. (The temperature stays near 50 all year!) Grab a bunch of friends and a cooler of your favorite beverages and get ready to relax. You’ll rent a tube (basically a big floating donut), be outfitted with a life jacket (plug your nose because they stink) and dropped off at a trout farm that has a convenient drop point into the river.
Once you get in, you’ll float for several miles and several hours enjoying the view. You may see some fish and birds. Watch out for the fly fisherman. They’re everywhere. One of my fellow tubers actually bumped into one. They’re really nice though and are more than happy to push you back onto the right path.
This is a welcome change from busy city life. And it’s also pretty inexpensive ($ 12) for 3 – 4 hours of outdoor fun.

Admittedly, I was a tubing virgin when I visited Up the River Outfitters for a trip down the Chattahoochee River, so for all you tubing pros out there, skip the next paragraph where I wax poetic about the joys of my newfound favorite leisure activity.
However, for those of you still as unschooled as I was about the beauty of tubing, let’s talk. Tubing is basically a floating one-​person mini-​raft, and the pinnacle of water leisure activities. Pretty much there are only two options for activities while tubing — drinking and conversation. Though you get a short paddle, the river’s current easily carries you, so it’s all about relaxing. I’d recommend hooking tubes together (using life vest straps seemed to be the easiest way), or there is a chance that you’ll watch your friends float far away from you, which can make conversation quite a chore.
Up the River did a good job of getting our group of eleven into the water. A van takes you down to the entry point, about a five-​minute drive, and staff helps everyone into the Chattahoochee. Since it’s a few exits north of 285, the water’s much clearer than the in-​town, murky portion of the river. Because of conditions, we had to enter the river at the midpoint, where the river has no sizeable rapids. The upper river is a bit more rapid-​filled, but the portion we were on was entertaining enough. You’ll pass a few fisherman that may give you dirty looks for disturbing the fish, but fellow tubers are friendly, (we rewarded a beer to a guy that rescued a friend’s escaped paddle), and the river isn’t overcrowded. For the return, a shuttle picks you up and takes you back to your car.
Another advantage — this is a relatively cheap at twelve bucks for the 2.5 hour float! Aside from the 2.5 or 4 hour tubing options, Up the River also rents kayaks and canoes, and note that they have an increased rate on weekends and holidays.
One downside is that the staff doesn’t really volunteer too much information (Do I get on the bus now? Where am I supposed to go next?), but hound the girls at the desk, and they’ll eventually break down and actually give some instruction.