An Atlanta DJ's challenge to a GaTech fraternity quickly became a campuswide event that mushroomed into a major annual Atlanta event. 'The Great American Ramblin Raft Race' billed as the largest participating sporting event in the nation gave recognition and birth to what is now the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The controversial event ended in the early 1980's after having grown into a national event drawing rafts and participants from across the nation. The following scanned duplicate slide images, of somewhat poor quality due to aging, are from the 1979 edition.
The start of the race at Morgan Falls Dam about a mile or so above Johnson Ferry rd.
The city of Atlanta even entered a raft, intended to help with trash disposal
Dress attire was 'optional'
Our raft was a submerged house, the red brick chimney held the keg! Note the construction company's 'crane raft' behind ours
Approaching I-285 near Riverbend Apts, the race headquarters for the week
Spectators at Riverbend shoreline
Spectators at Powers Ferry Landing, site of Ray's on the River. Riverbend was approximately the halfway point of the roughly 6 mile run to the current river takeout location.
The take out location at the end of the race course at US41 Cobb Pkwy, now called Paces Mill section of the NRA