The last time I drove by the rafting/tubing/canoing takeout on Aska Rd (aka Party Rock) I saw surveying tape that made me go "hmmm...uh-oh". Got an email last night from someone who heard there were "No Parking" signs there now.

It might just be a rumor that began upstream, as I noticed there were more signs around Shallowford Bridge, which is just preparation for the onslaught of the Adventure Race on April 12th (we've been warned to place them in our office lot).

Hopefully that's the case but that survey tape...I'll be driving by there today, so I'll attempt to confirm or dispel unless anyone else knows.

ADDED: I had a business issue come up with a PM deadline so I won't make it out there today.

Well there aren't any "No Parking" signs there. However, there are tons of "Posted - No Trespassing" & "Private Property - Keep Out" signs, at least 8 of them standing (some were obviously pulled up & several were tossed to the other side of the road). Additionally, here's new (dummy?) survey tape/marker that's different than the last survey tape that I saw which is no longer there and was at the other end of the sign line.








It doesn't look like it's something there just for the Adventure Race. That's a shame. What are the rafting companies going to do? I've been driving by that stretch of river since 1985 and it's always been a scenic pullover area. Incidentally, while I was there a father and son (that's their Jeep in the first shot) were playing down on the rocks by the water, ignoring me and the signs. I heard the signs went up ~10-years ago and they were ignored then.

PS: please don't remove this guy's signs; there are houses on the hill, not to mention technology that wasn't there a decade ago. Hopefully, this will work itself out. Plus, it appears parking basically remains the same; you just have to takeout after "Party Rock" (or the orange survey tape in the first shot) and walk up to your vehicle.

Kip,
I believe these "No Parking signs" are the beginning of the end of free access to our beautiful river.
I have lived in Miami Fl. all my life and have seen the same thing with trying to get to the ocean.
When I was a kid you could ride your bike down almost any street that led to Biscayne Bay and go fishing or launch your canoe or just get your feet wet.
Now you cannot even see the ocean when it’s less than 50 yards away. Private streets and walls have cut off all contact with the ocean except in our public parks and most of them you have to pay to get in.
I remember many years ago someone tried to put up a fence by the “Party Rock” and it was torn down during the night.
Does just one person have ownership of that land? I thought it was a joint ownership of the property owners up above.
I guess the home owners in that area have gotten tired or to old of all the people having fun.
Those rocks have been the place for baptisms, reunions, marriages (and a few other things I wish I had not seen) I have rescued people who have fallen out of their tubes and have many fond memories of my childhood and now with my children.
I remember last summer seeing the new no parking signs by your office and having to pay the person in the store to let me park my car across the street to go down the river to my cabin.

It is truly a sad sign.

Guy

See you next week..

hopefully things can be worked out with the owners of that property to continue the tradition of what I thought was one of the coolest spots in Fannin County. I have been comming to Blue Ridge for the last 30 yrs and my kids love the rapids where everyone hangs out and has a good time. I also own a cabin just downriver and would hate to see that spot be off limits to the genral public. Hope it's not true!!! ...A miami native,A fannin local at heart!!!

My half-retired in-laws live part-time 5 minutes from "Party Rock", and I've been spending many many weekends up there for 8 years. I know the river quite well - I have kayaked every section of the Toccoa (from Deep Hole to the dam on the lake) numerous times. My kids love to swim here, and I've save several coolers from flipped canoes as well There is no other spot on the river like that location for access by so many people for sport and recreation, and it is a common spontaneous "tourist spot" where folks just stop the car and jump out and take pictures.

I know my kids (ages 5 and 9) will miss swimming there.

I've spent enough time "hanging out" with the kids to understand why the local landowners may wish to restrict access. But a few bad apples ...

As more property gets developed, this points to a bigger issue -- this section of the Toccoa REALLY needs a public access point (the USFS "Canoe Trail" ends at Sandy Bottom - the last spot with easy public access is along this stretch above Shallowford Bridge). I don't fish, but I've spoken with trout fisherman who complain about similar issues (in fact, while our uses are different and at times conflicting, fisherman and rec/whitewater boaters share a lot of common issues).

From what I can tell from topo/hiking maps, isn't much of the "Turkey Farm" tract just downriver public land? It is sometimes used for the Aska Adventure Race, and I've parked at the end of the road and hiked down to the river there before. Right now it is a long or steep hike to the river and/or a bushwack.

Drove by there yesterday afternoon (around 4PM) and the signs were all there. Drove by there this morning and all signage, ribbons, posts, etc. appeared to have vanished. Didn't see a trace.

Now that seems odd(not a trace).Maybe somebody got really ticked off about the signs and decided to become a thief in the night.

I've learned that the people who own that property also own a cabin on the river just past my cabin befor you get to the lake. Met them once. Not sure why they want to restrict access but it may have to do with liability issues. These signs have been put up before only to disapear mysteriously overnight. Hopefully, this issue will fade as in the past. Guy, hope to get together this July when were up! Ken

Driving by there today, I noticed some new orange paint on the ground that apparently shows the county's road buffer, which extends within 10-feet or so of the riverbank.

THEY'RE BACK. Drove by there today and the signs are back. Looks like you were right Guy.