Georgia Rivers Offering Slate of 2026 Spring River Adventures

If spring fever has struck you, Georgia Rivers is coming to your aid with a slate of spring canoe/kayak and fishing adventures to get you outdoors in some of Georgia’s most scenic locations.

Atlanta, GA, March 3, 2026 – The trips kick off March 13-15 with a weekend of creek paddling in the Savannah River basin, featuring Ebenezer Creek, one of Georgia’s state-designated “scenic rivers” near Savannah, and Brier Creek, an enchanting cypress-lined stream in Screven County. During the weekend, participants will visit the oldest church in Georgia at New Ebenezer; learn about the Ebenezer Creek “Massacre” that led to the “40 acres and a mule” policy for emancipated slaves following the Civil War; and visit the Revolutionary War Brier Creek Battlefield Site as part of Georgia Rivers’ America250 programming.

The adventures continue April 10-12 with a three-day journey taking in portions of the Okefenokee Swamp and the blackwater St. Marys River which flows out of the fabled swamp. The trip features camping beneath spreading live oak trees at Traders Hill Campground in Folkston, catered meals and nightly educational programs.

On April 24-26, the organization returns to coastal Georgia for a two-day trip on the Ogeechee River, taking in a scenic portion of the Ogeechee around the historic Savannah-Ogeechee Canal (including a portion of the canal itself!). The group will enjoy catered meals, camping and nightly educational programs at the Savannah-Ogeechee Canal and Nature Center in Savannah.

The following weekend (May 1-3), Georgia Rivers hosts a two-day journey on the Chattahoochee River immediately downstream of Atlanta, utilizing newly completed “paddle-in” campsites in the City Chattahoochee Hills that are part of the ambitious Chattahoochee RiverLands project, a far-reaching system of trails and parks stretching from Atlanta to Coweta and Carroll counties.

Georgia Rivers is also hosting a series of spring kayak fishing classes, beginning March 28 with an Introduction to Kayak Fishing class at Lake Allatoona near Cartersville. That lake excursion is followed April 18 by an Introduction to River Kayak Fishing class on the Chestatee River near Dahlonega. The Fish Georgia Rivers classes aim to improve participants’ paddling and fishing skills.

Most trips are suitable for beginners and novices. To learn more and see all of Georgia Rivers’ on-water canoe/kayak and fishing adventures, visit our Events page. Registration fees range from $75 to $390. Scholarships are available for women, people of color, recent immigrants and low-income individuals and families. Proceeds from registration fees are used to support Georgia Rivers’ efforts to protect and connect people with the state’s rivers and streams.

Registration also continues for the organization’s signature event, Paddle Georgia 2026. This seven-day journey runs June 14-20, beginning on the Cartecay River near Ellijay and continuing for 95 miles on the Coosawattee and Oostanaula rivers through Calhoun and Rome.

Individuals interested in exploring the state’s rivers on their own can take advantage of Georgia Rivers’ Georgia River Guide app, available at both android and Apple app stores for free. The app provides detailed information for boaters about how to access and what to expect on dozens of Georgia rivers and streams.

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For More Information:

info@garivers.org

About Georgia Rivers:

Georgia Rivers is a statewide 501c3 organization with the mission to protect and connect people with Georgia rivers. Georgia Rivers serves as Georgia DNR’s non-profit partner running the Georgia Water Trails Network, creating river maps and guides and providing the free Georgia River Guide mobile app. Georgia Rivers connects people to Georgia rivers by hosting paddle trips across the state, including the signature week-long Paddle Georgia camping adventure hosted on a different Georgia river each year; and by conducting kayak training and safety classes. Georgia Rivers also serves as fiscal sponsor of the Okefenokee Protection Alliance, Georgia Outdoor Recreation Coalition and Georgia Water Coalition.

Visit garivers.org to learn more about paddle trips, water trails and ways you can protect Georgia rivers.