Being a film geek, the idea of splashing down the same river as seen in "Deliverance" brings an air of excitement. Since the Chattooga River in northeast Georgia is federally protected, it practically remains the same as it did on film more than 35 years ago.

But even with an it's-only-a-movie mantra flowing through my brain, images of the movie's terrorizing, dentally challenged mountain men reside in the back of my mind.

Wildwater Rafting.com (ENLARGE)

Wildwater Rafting trips on the Chattooga River in Northeast Georgia

File photo (ENLARGE)

'Deliverance' inspired river 'running.' Action scenes show Chattooga no easy river to navigate. Action scene on Georgia's Chattooga River. In center, actor Ronny Cox felled by sniper.

RELATED • Raft the Nantahala • Take the train at Blue Ridge to rafting (Ocoee) and tubing (Toccoa) • Photos • Georgia whitewater systems TRIPS Rafting trips start at $64 per person for a Mini Trip and top out at $302 per person for the weekend Overnighter. Call for detailed trip information and cost. They also conduct trips on other rivers. Wildwater Ltd. Rafting, 1251 Academy Road, Long Creek, S.C. 877-247-5535, www.wildwaterrafting.com. DINING From the Wildwater Ltd. Rafting outpost, it's an approximate 15-minute drive to Clayton. Fast food, including McDonald's and Chick-fil-A, reside in town. But some of the Wildwater Ltd. staff give high marks to Mama G's Italian Restaurant (777 U.S. 441 S., Clayton. 706-782-9565), a popular, casual haunt with cloud-like garlic rolls, pizza, home-style pasta and a full bar. The front is deceiving with tropical window shades and lack of parking. But we turn the corner and find the back lot packed with cars. And inside it has the hustle and bustle of locals, outdoor vacationers and clusters of families from the nearby lakes. LODGING Next door to the outpost is a gravel road leading to a small cluster of cottages. Each duplex cottage holds up to four people with a queen futon downstairs and a pair of twin beds in an upstairs loft. Each includes a kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, oven and stove. After taming the river, relax with a shower or kick back on the couch while watching satellite TV. The deck overlooks a nearby pond. Rates are $129 per night plus tax. Hotel rooms in Clayton typically range $50-$100 per night. GETTING THERE Take I-85 North. Take the Ga. 365 North exit toward Gainesville. Take the U.S. 23 North/U.S. 441 North exit toward Clayton. Continue heading northeast into Clayton. Turn right onto U.S. 76/Ga. 2/Chechero Street. Continue following U.S. 76 into South Carolina. Turn left onto Academy Road. Georgia travel stories Westville: Pre-Civil War town is living museum  Allman Bros Band's 'Big House' to open as museum  Town is artisan-friendly  Five romantic spots for the newly wed  Art, music and scenery  Photos: Travel / Southeast Galleries Latest deals! Back to: Travel | Southeast destinations Travel Guide Powered by

As we arrive at the Wildwater Ltd. Rafting outpost in Long Creek, S.C., minutes away from Clayton just over the Georgia line, I realize I'm not the only one. T-shirts and bumper stickers in the gift shop bear the slogan "Paddle faster I hear banjo music," a reference to "Dueling Banjos," a tune that permeates the film.

Starting the journey

Fellow rafters gather at 7:30 a.m. for a seven-hour excursion. (A shorter option runs four to five hours; another lasts two days with overnight camping). We quickly realize that our guides aren't backwoods meanies. Instead, a group, primarily consisting of young, fresh-faced, tanned Bohemians who bunk on-site, serve as hosts and hostesses.

Ben McKee, our veteran trip leader, runs us through the preliminaries and laces his safety spiel with jokey jabs. Soon, we're grabbing life jackets and helmets and piling onto an old school bus-cum-river shuttle. The rafts are stacked on top.

A quick ride, and we arrive at the launch site, where the crew puts us to work. Some of us help the guides carry the rafts and others tote supplies down a wooded path that leads to water.

The beginning of our trek takes place in a key "Deliverance" location. It's where a rural sheriff (played by "Deliverance" author James Dickey) grills Burt Reynolds and company at the end of the film. The rusting cars are long gone; just scenic river bliss.

McKee assigns everyone a raft and guide. A bronze, female collegian gets a boatload of Boy Scouts, who seem pleasantly pleased. The tussled-haired dude donning an oversized, David Byrne-esque suit jacket and pants squires a potpourri of tourists in his raft. We get McKee, who brings near-encyclopedic knowledge of the river and scenery, not to mention years of river cred. Wearing slacks and a long sleeve, button-down shirt, he'd be at home on a casual Friday at your average corporation.

A total of five of us hop in our raft. McKee sits in the back of the raft. A pair of paddlers sit on either side of the front of the craft with another pair directly behind. McKee schools us on basic paddling techniques and familiarizes us with the basic instructions he'll shout along the way.

Congress designates the Chattooga as a wild and scenic river, which means plenty of rapids. We're soon off and paddling, hitting a 7-foot drop shortly out of the gate. Our crew survives without anyone going overboard, but other rafts aren't so lucky.

'This is my office'

While the river has its dangers, you needn't be swimmer Ian Thorpe to take the ride. With flotation devices and keen guides with safety ropes at the ready, anyone taking a spill either gets yanked out of the water and back into the raft by a guide or fellow rafter, or swims to a nearby rock or shore.

If you hit water, McKee suggests floating feet-first down the river to avoid getting a foot caught between rocks. And footwear is a must, either a pair of water shoes or old sneakers.

Throughout the trip, our guides pull the rafts to shore for added adventure. At one point, we take a walk through the woods to see a striking waterfall. Mountains, bountiful greenery and gorgeous rock formations provide awe-inspiring scenery. A photographer, who travels with the group by kayak, snaps shots of the trip along the way.

"I eat peanut butter and jelly from fall to spring," he says, camera in hand, "but this is my office."

At certain stops, our guides encourage us to jump from towering cliffs into the river. Arguably the most exciting is a dip into a circular opening about the size of a manhole located in the middle of a massive rock. We climb down to find a guide waiting. The water inside the hole is approximately torso deep. The guide instructs us to go underwater into a mini-cave tunnel. Blind faith reigns as he pushes us through. Another guide is on the side. She pushes us through the remainder of the cave and out and under a small waterfall that shoots us into the river. We quickly grab a safety rope and pull ourselves to shore.

More rapids follow with colorful names like the Last Supper and, of course, Deliverance. Legend has it that the latter rapid is where the movie's camera crew lost bundles of equipment during the shoot.

End of the trip

Toward the end of the journey, everyone pulls ashore for a riverside lunch. The guides grab a raft, drag it to shore, flip it over and cover it with a table cloth. Out comes the grub as a gaggle of guides set up the makeshift sandwich buffet in record time. A guide even goes for tongue-in-cheek presentation by spearing a cucumber slice with a small carrot and placing it in the middle of a fanning arrangement of cheese.

After all of that paddling and swimming, the simple sandwich tastes divine. But surprisingly, the lengthy trip isn't exhausting. The guides wisely space out the paddling with enough swim and out-of-water time as to not overwork even the most out-of-shape rafter.

The trip wraps with the guides tying the rafts together and a motorized boat pulling us along a serene lake where we see the occasional fisherman and water snake.

The bus awaits as we lug the rafts out of the river. The guides heave them back on top of the bus, and we load up for a short ride back to the outpost.

Tipping your guide is customary, so bring extra cash. Just after arrival, the photographer presents a slide show of photos available for purchase. You can buy them at the outpost or wait until you get home and purchase them online. Both the photographer and gift shop take credit cards.

No, you won't squeal like a pig on Wildwater Ltd. Rafting's Chattooga River adventure. But expect a boatload of laughs, excitement and splashy outdoor entertainment.