Kayaking
Most of this guide is written for people on foot. These two rivers are the exception.
The Conasauga and Holly Creek both run inside the wilderness boundary, and paddlers run them at the right water. Neither is a casual float.
The Upper Conasauga, from Chicken Coop Gap to East Cowpen Road, is a Class III-IV wilderness run, about seven and a half miles long, with an average gradient of 80 feet per mile. Holly Creek's Cohutta Wilderness section is shorter and harder: Class IV(V) over roughly six miles, dropping about 165 feet per mile. Both are steep, remote, and gauged off the same station, Holly Creek near Chatsworth. Both need real water to be worth running; low water means dragging a boat over rock for miles.
Wood is a known hazard in both channels, and neither run sees regular maintenance or quick rescue access. This is expert water in a wilderness setting, not a beginner-friendly paddle. Check the Upper Conasauga and Holly Creek on American Whitewater for current gauge readings, put-in directions, and trip reports before you go. Do not put on below the recommended minimum flow.