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
Join your Georgia River Network friends for this one-night, mid-week getaway to the mountains and a stay at The Hike Inn for half off the usual rates. The trip includes a five-mile hike (moderate difficulty) to the inn which is located near Springer Mountain and the start of the Appalachian Trail. While at the inn, enjoy two hot meals (dinner and breakfast) served family style in the inn dining hall. Educational programs are featured following dinner. The inn features private rooms (2 bunk beds), restrooms with showers, and of course, great views of Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The adventure ends with a five-mile return trip, or, for the more ambitious, you can take a side excursion to see the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (strenuous hike to Springer). Bring along cash to tip the staff and cash/credit card to buy optional lunch for hike out or purchase merchandise. You must start your hike on the 19th no later than 2pm. Once you register, the Hike Inn will send you additional details about your stay.
Registration fees include stay at The Hike Inn with private room and meals. To book your room:
Go to www.hike-inn.com
Click on RESERVATIONS
Click on RATE OPTIONS
Promotional/Group Code: type in your group code, click apply (this will change the dates on the left to your groups dates)
Group code is: GRN23
Click on the 1 room, 1 adult, no children menu and change the count to what you need it to be. If you need more than one room, click the plus sign and change that count to what you need it to be. Room count can be no more than 3, with at least one person being a child aged 12 or under.
Then click check availability. If there are rooms available you will see a box that says book it, click it to complete the reservation form. Double check the right hand side for rooms and amount of people in each room. If you need to make changes there is a box with an arrow that will take you back to the first page.
Once all the guest info, special info, payment info, the booking and privacy policy are agreed to, click book now.
This 12-mile paddle on the Chattahoochee through rural Carroll and Coweta counties features mostly flatwater with a handful of Class I shoals. It takes in a beautiful portion of the long-maligned river downstream of Atlanta where water quality has been greatly improved over the past two decades. The run is set to be part of an ambitious linear park with land-based recreational paths and a Chattahoochee River Water Trail stretching from Atlanta to Coweta County. This particular journey is a paddle through time that begins near the site of an historic covered bridge built by the former slave and famous bridge builder Horace King; continues past the site of Creek Indian Chief William McIntosh’s home and tavern where he was murdered by his own people after signing documents ceding Creek lands in Georgia to the U.S. government; and finally ends at one of Georgia’s largest and newest state parks–Chattahoochee Bend State Park. The trip is suitable for novice paddlers. Kayak rentals are available. Registration begins March 1. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE NOW!
This short 5-mile journey takes in one of the most popular river runs in North Georgia, exploring the historic Chestatee River just south of the Gold Rush town of Dahlonega. Plan a day or a weekend in the Georgia mountains around this three-to-four hour Sunday morning paddle. With its headwaters along the flanks of Blood Mountain in Dicks Creek and Frogtown Creek, the Chestatee flows through the heart of North Georgia’s Gold Rush country where during the 1830s, thousands of settlers moved into the area seeking their fortune. Many worked from flatboats on the Chestatee River where they dredged the river bottom in search of the precious metal; others developed even more elaborate systems–including a diving bell that was employed for a short period on the river in the 1870s. The trip is mostly flatwater with some Class I shoals and flows through a mostly wooded and undeveloped riverfront. The trip is suitable for beginning and novice paddlers. Kayak rentals are available. Registration begins March 1. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE NOW!
Outdoor recreation enthusiasts, conservationists and leaders from across the state will gather to celebrate 25 years of protecting rivers and waterways on September 8 at the Georgia Rivers Gala.
Guests will enjoy full bar service with live music, a sit-down dinner, program and live dance band.
Come out to 42West from 7-10 p.m. on September 8 to celebrate a quarter-century of working together for healthy rivers.
Sponsor, get tickets or donate at garivers.org/georgiariversgala
For more information: Wilderness First Aid/CPR Certification Class (regfox.com)
Ever wonder why we’ve been doing this same trip–at the same time of year–in the same place for nearly a decade? Well, it’s because the lower Flint is so beautiful and so unique that we just keep coming back to it year after year. Even after all these years, it remains one of our most popular trips. Unlike any other river in South Georgia, the Flint will surprise you with its lively shoals, Swiss cheese-like limestone bluffs, beautiful blue hole springs and abundance of wildlife–both on land and in the water. This two-day, two-night canoe/kayak camping adventure takes in 36 miles of the Flint’s wonder. Along the way, you can choose your non-paddling activities: lounge on a sandbar, jump from a limestone cliff or take a dip in a chilling, breathtakingly beautiful blue hole spring. We’ll camp at Rocky Bend Flint River Retreat, a picturesque camp overlooking the river in Newton with tent camping, cabins for rent and RV camping sites. Restrooms with toilets and showers are provided. Catered meals will be served in an indoor, air-conditioned dining hall. Educational programs on the river and after dinner each evening will give you a greater understanding of the Flint and water issues shaping Southwest Georgia, the state’s most productive agricultural area. Click here for more details and registration information.
