Chickamauga Dam Kayak Tour: Unique Chattanooga Adventure
5.0
34 Ratings
Chattanooga
Experience the thrill of locking through the Chickamauga Dam on a kayak tour in Chattanooga. Watch as the massive gates open, secure your spot in the lock, and then be released into the river for the rest of the adventure.
Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 20 Kings Point Rd - Experience the unparalleled adventure of traversing through Chickamauga Dam via kayak with our exclusive guided tour. Glide into the towering 120-foot lock, and watch as the colossal gates seal your path. Your guide will tether the kayaks to a mobile anchor along the lock’s edge, ensuring the safety of all participants. The lockmaster will methodically release the water from Chickamauga Lake into the Tennessee River below, allowing you to gently sink within the lock’s confines until you reach the lower river level. As the lock’s grand doors swing open, your guide will steer you onto the river, where the kayaking journey proceeds. Embark on this distinctive Chattanooga kayaking escapade.
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Kayak adventure equipment including lifejacket, paddle, and light
  • Professional guide
  • Safety equipment including group throw-bag, towline, and first aid kit
Additional Information

Cycling through a dam presents an unusual escape from normality. Patiently we wait while the colossal lock gates swing open, allowing upstream bound boats to steadily steer out. Afterwards, we paddle our kayaks into the lock, anchoring ourselves as the gates seal behind. Observing the water level, we note the high watermark slightly undershooting our kayak decks and watch it rise, as the water gradually funnels into the river beneath. After a descent of approximately 45 to 60 feet to meet the river level, the enormous semicircular doors swing open to free us back into the river to carry on with the remaining journey.

Location
River Park Boat Ramp
We meet at the Hubert Fry Center Boat Ramp off of Amnicola Road. Directly Across the Street from the Coca-Cola Bottling plant. You cross over the RR tracks and will see a boat ramp on your left. Park next to the bike share station in single car spots. https://goo.gl/maps/AXhGy8LmqjuCVbDi9
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(34 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Voyage163570
Apr 2, 2024
Amazing - AMAZING time. Highly recommend!! Brandon, our guide was fantastic! Would definitely do again! It was a very cool experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Atl407
Sep 26, 2023
Fabulous kayak tour! - Fascinating tour, so cool to go through the lock, and experience it in a kayak. The guide was super interesting and knowledgeable. Chattanooga Guided Adventures does a great job! Highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Atlgeorgia
Sep 9, 2023
Amazing Experience - What a wonderful experience! The 3 hour trip was well worth the money. Our guide Zak was outstanding. The whole trip was paced beautifully and it was truly a joy to be on the water. Loved that the guide gave us tips on how to handle a wake from a boat and how to stabilize our kayak so that we felt safe and comfortable. This was a bit of a challenge for me since I am not really comfortable being on the water. The only thing I would change would be to reduce the time in the open water in front of the dam at the very beginning. Felt a little exposed and had to actually maneuver my kayak to go over a wake from a rude boater but felt so confident because of the excellent instruction that was given. The opportunity to actually go into the dam lock was pretty amazing and this tour was the best of all of the activities that we did when we visited and that is saying a lot since all of our tours were stellar. Our guide was able to project his voice so that we never missed any information that he was imparting. Highly recommend!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kirsten_d
Sep 5, 2023
Fantastic Paddle Experience! - Great trip with lots of information! Zach was very knowledgeable and provided some great historical information on the dam. He was patient and answered every question that was asked. We thoroughly enjoyed the paddle over to the dam, going through the locks and the paddle downstream as well. Zach was great at communicating expectations so we knew what to do. Would go again in a heartbeat - such a neat experience.
Review provided by Viator
Melissa
Aug 23, 2023
Outstanding tour - wouldn't hesitate to book again - This was by far one of the best tour experiences my husband and I have ever had. Perfect even if you're brand new to kayaking. Not only was going through the dam lock an amazing experience but our guide Zach provided so much interesting information on the history of the dam, the river and the local wildlife. We can't wait to come back and try another of their tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mona31794
Aug 1, 2023
Chickamauga Dam - My family enjoyed kayaking through the dam lock. Fascinating experience! Brandon was our guide and made sure we survived!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cheryll690
Jul 15, 2023
Such a great trip with the perfect guide. - Kayaking and locking through the dam up close and personal was something I always wanted to do. The trip was everything I could hope for.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P2029qkteresaf
Jul 14, 2023
so dam good - Our guided tour of the lock and dam was so dam good ;). Zach knows so much about the history and local wildlife. This was a great way to spend the morning. We will be back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bpuff
Jun 26, 2023
Great experience! - We had a great trip through the locks with Brandon as our guide. I was in a kayak with my 9 year old grandson who was new to kayaking, and he had a great experience. Brandon was knowledgeable, identifying birds and giving us a history of the locks. Don't miss this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P7986fiseang
Jun 11, 2023
So much fun! - Great time on the river! The tour is an amazing way to learn more about the river, area and the locks. Very cool to get an up-close view of how boats (and kayaks) move along the river.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 10 guests
1
Adult
May 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today