Protect Your Rivers by Paddling Your Rivers!
Compete to win up to $8,000 in prizes for paddling you’re already doing in 2023 — and help protect Georgia’s rivers in the process — by joining Georgia River Network’s 25th Anniversary Paddle-a-thon! Now through Sept. 6, paddlers can log the miles they paddle to win prizes in categories such as “Most Miles Paddled,” “Most Kayak Fishing Trips,” “Most Trash Collected” and even “Most Miles Paddled with Your Pet!” Part paddling competition, part community fundraiser, all are invited to join Paddle-a-thon. You can choose to raise money on behalf of the org or to just paddle, it’s up to you!
Join Paddle-a-thon
This 13-mile adventure explores the scenic and historic Flint River Water Trail as it winds through Meriwether and Pike counties in Middle Georgia. Beginning on White Oak Creek in the Joe Kurz Wildlife Management Area, the route features mostly flatwater interrupted occasionally by Class I shoals and climaxes with a thrilling run over historic Flat Shoals, a Class II obstacle that will put your paddling skills to the test. The route ends at a boat ramp near Woodbury newly renovated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Flat Shoals was once a favored crossing of the river by Native Americans along a trail known as the Oakfuskee Path. In the mid-1800s, the shoals were harnessed to power a wool carding mill and then in the 20th century, the picturesque spot became a favorite fishing hole of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his many trips to nearby Warm Springs. Finally, in the 21st century, Flat Shoals gained fame as a filming location for TV series The Walking Dead. Kayak rentals are available. This trip is not recommended for beginning and novice paddlers; paddling helmets must be worn when running Flat Shoals (loaner helmets are available from Georgia River Network at no charge). Registration opens March 1! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE NOW!
Paddle Georgia is BACK! After two years of COVID-19-altered paddle trips schedules and formats, Paddle Georgia is returning to its pre-COVID format. Paddle Georgia 2023 will explore more than 70 miles of the Savannah River, 23 miles of Brier Creek in Screven County, 6 miles of Ebenezer Creek in Effingham County, and finally, a 2-mile exploration of Abercorn Creek. A mix of big-river paddling on the alluvial Savannah and intimate blackwater creeks that feed into it, Paddle Georgia 2023 will introduce paddlers to the diversity and beauty of the lower Savannah River. You’ll slip beneath fossil-filled bluffs and into mysterious backwater sloughs on the Savannah, marvel at ancient and mammoth cypress trees on Ebenezer Creek and paddle past the site of one of Georgia’s most renowned Revolutionary War battles on Brier Creek. As the primary conduit for the exploration of inland Georgia in the 18th century following the founding of the Georgia colony, the Savannah is our state’s most historic river. It is also among the most heavily used and engineered rivers in the state. Along the route, you’ll gain an understanding of how we have impacted the river and how we are now working to sustain and restore it, for our own preservation and the preservation of the wildlife that also depends on it.
We’ll camp at Black Creek Scout Reservation near Sylvania and New Ebenezer Retreat Center near Springfield. At Black Creek, you can choose to rent Boy Scout platform tents with cots and mattresses, reserve (limited) space in an air-conditioned bunkhouse, pitch your tent beneath a covered pavilion or tent in shaded woods surrounding a multi-acre lake. RV camping is permitted but must be self-contained. Restrooms with toilets and showers are provided. Catered meals will be served in the reservation’s modern dining hall, and participants will have the opportunity to enjoy some of the reservation’s other amenities, including a zipline into the lake, a climbing wall and ropes course.
At New Ebenezer Retreat Center, we’ll tent camp on the wooded and shaded grounds of historic New Ebenezer founded in 1734 by Salzburger emigrants, Protestant refugees from Austria, and a stone’s throw from the oldest (1769) church building in Georgia. Limited indoor accommodations, including some private “hotel” rooms will be available. RV camping is permitted but must be self-contained. Restrooms with toilets and showers are provided. Our tent camping area will include supplemental shower trailers and porta-toilets. Catered meals will be served beneath an outdoor tent near a picturesque pond on the retreat center grounds. Participants will have access to a large air-conditioned common room and on-site swimming pool.
A new registration fee structure will make it easier for families with multiple children to participate in this year’s adventure. Registration fees will range from $55-$455 for thru-paddlers and $25-$155 for two-day paddlers. Three and four-day paddling options will also be available.
Additionally, a new vehicle shuttle plan will enable all participants to have access to their vehicles throughout the week.
Paddle Georgia is back…and better than ever before! Prepare yourself for 100 miles, 7 days and 1 great time on the Savannah River! Click here for more details and registration information.