Etowah, Oostanaula and Coosa Rivers

Rome saw its first steamboat in 1836, marking the beginning of a thriving river trade. Steamboats measuring up to 170 feet in length navigated the rivers over the next century carrying cargo, mail and passengers.
Today, the rivers of the area are part of North America’s most biologically diverse river system with dozens of rare and imperiled species of fish, crayfish, snails and mussels. Visitors and locals alike enjoy the rivers for their scenery, canoeing, kayaking, boating and fishing.