Ramblin' Raft Race

News

Ramblin' Raft Race

The annual Memorial Day weekend Ramblin' Raft Race on the Chattahoochee River served as the unofficial kickoff to summer throughout the 1970s. Whatever happened to it?

The annual Memorial Day weekend Ramblin' Raft Race on the Chattahoochee River served as the unofficial kickoff to summer for Atlantans throughout the 1970s. At its peak, more than 300,000 rafters descended upon the once-sleepy Chattahoochee, and they brought the freewheeling, free-lovin' era along for the ride.

Fittingly enough, a group of Georgia Tech fraternity brothers originated the event. About 500 people participated in that first race, held 39 years ago. "The next year, we had over 1,000," said Larry Patrick, who now raises catfish on the Broad River in Kings Mountain, S.C.

"There were no rules or regulations," said Jerry Hightower, a ranger with the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area who attended all but the first two years of the festival. "It came out of that Woodstock mentality, the whole back-to-nature mindset."

Word quickly spread as radio station WQXI became a sponsor and promoter. By the mid-70s, hundreds of thousands of revelers were crowding the Chattahoochee to either watch or participate. That year, the Guinness Book of World Records dubbed it the world's largest spectator sporting event.

Inhibitions were left ashore as rafters meandered along the scenic course from Sandy Springs to Vinings.

One of the race's more wholesome trademarks were the clever and often elaborate raft designs. There were Tiki huts, improvised Titanics and even automobiles floating down the 'Hooch. Some structures took months to realize, though most rafters opted for a humbler craft. "I remember seeing so many guys just sprawled out on an inter tube with a cooler of beer tied to the back," Jordan said. This guy here dispensed with the cooler and just used bottles.

The rafts were as unique as their owners.

And there was definitely a lot of uniqueness.

If clothes were shed and if grass was smoked authorities consented to look the other way.

"It was all good, clean fun," Roswell airline pilot and raft race veteran J.J. Jordan said between chuckles. "Man, everyone was there. It was like a week of Spring Break crammed into one day."

Of course there was a lot of trash to pick up and Linda Corbett helped to clean it up.

The easygoing vibe began to change in 1978, when President Jimmy Carter signed a bill creating the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. New management took over, and before long the feds were openly fretting about controlling the "thousands of beer-swilling, dope-smoking rafters," as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1980. Citations for drunk and disorderly behavior started to be issued. Then, a rafter drowned, the only fatality recorded in the festival's history.

After the 1980 race, officials informed organizers they would no longer pay for security and cleanup. "The budget had for it had grown so big, it was just hard to keep up," Patrick said. Casual debauchery and rafting were no longer hip. "The race had begun to set a tone that wasn't the best for the river," Hightower said. But it's impact extends beyond hazy memories of a bygone era.

1/13

The annual Memorial Day weekend Ramblin' Raft Race on the Chattahoochee River served as the unofficial kickoff to summer for Atlantans throughout the 1970s. At its peak, more than 300,000 rafters descended upon the once-sleepy Chattahoochee, and they brought the freewheeling, free-lovin' era along for the ride.

Today's Gallery Headlines

Coca-Cola first ad

PHOTOS: Coca-Cola ads over time

Alonzo Herndon

PHOTOS: Philanthropists leave mark on Atlanta

gainesville, thomas county central

PHOTOS: Thomas County Central pummels Gainesville for 5A state title

jefferson, sandy creek

PHOTOS: Sandy Creek defeats Jefferson for Class 3A championship

More Galleries

World Cup draw party TKTKT

PHOTOS: Fans attend 2026 World Cup draw party in Atlanta

Randy Beck

'No body' homicide cases in Georgia

aajc 110625 anx cobb so equine

PHOTOS: Cobb County Sheriff's Office Equine Therapy Program

‘Til death do us part: Metro Atlanta couples tie the know on Halloween

PHOTOS: ‘Til death do us part: Metro Atlanta couples tie the knot on Halloween