Georgia Rivers Releases River Adventure Schedule for 2025

 Registration for spring trips opens December 28!

ATHENS, GA, December 23, 2024 –A slate of 14 guided canoe and kayak trips, ranging from mellow explorations of the blackwater Okefenokee Swamp in South Georgia to whitewater thrills on the Chattahoochee River in North Georgia are on tap in 2025 from Georgia Rivers, the Peach State’s only statewide organization dedicated to protecting Georgia’s rivers, streams and lakes. 

Seasoned canoeists and kayakers and beginners alike will find something of interest on the 2025 schedule, according to event planners. Several trips shine the spotlight on small streams that have been the subject of much debate regarding where Georgia’s paddling public has a right to boat. Other excursions will highlight the rich African-American history along the state’s streams. Still others will highlight newly-developed water trails and recreational amenities. 

“Our goal is to connect people with the incredible beauty and infinite fun to be experienced on Georgia’s rivers,” said Joe Cook, Paddle Georgia Coordinator, “When people are connected to our rivers they care about them. And, when they care about them, they protect them.”

Registration opens for the organization’s spring paddle trips Dec. 28. Most trips are limited to less than 35 people. Registration fees range from $110 to $450 with discounts for youth and young adults. Full and partial scholarships for women, people of color, recent immigrants and low-income residents are available for all events. The full schedule, registration and scholarship details for each trip can be viewed at: https://garivers.org/calendar-2/

The organization’s trips begin March 1-2 with a two-day adventure exploring Muckalee and Kinchafoonee creeks in Southwest Georgia. In recent years, Lee County has established boating access points on these creeks, turning them into tourism destinations and recreational amenities for local residents. 

On March 22-23, Georgia Rivers hosts a two-day event on Ebenezer and Abercorn creeks just north of Savannah. Ebenezer is one of many creeks upon which continued public passage in boats could be in jeopardy if the General Assembly adopts a narrow view of where Georgians have the right to boat. The two creeks are also rich in African-American history. The deaths of an untold number of recently emancipated slaves on Ebenezer Creek in December 1864 led to the “40 acres and a mule” policy at the close of the Civil War. Abercorn Creek, following the Revolutionary War, sheltered a community of “maroons,” free Blacks and runaway slaves, who resisted subjugation on remote islands in the Savannah River delta for several years. 

During this trip, participants can choose to camp or stay in lodging at New Ebenezer Retreat Center. Catered meals and educational programs highlight each evening of the event. 

The Ebenezer-Abercorn Adventure is the first of several trips planned by Georgia Rivers in 2025 that highlight Black history along the state’s rivers and streams. 

“For many reasons, Georgia rivers have historically not been considered ‘safe spaces’ for people of color,” said Rena Ann Peck, Georgia Rivers Executive Director. “There’s a troubled and tortured history there, but there’s also is a long, rich connection between our rivers, especially for Black Georgians and indigenous communities. We want to reclaim these rivers for all Georgians and diversify today’s paddlesports and river advocacy communities.” 

On April 4-6, Georgia Rivers returns for a second year to far Southeast Georgia for Spring on the St. Marys, a two-day paddle and camping trip on the blackwater river that originates in the Okefenokee Swamp and forms the “thumb” boundary between Georgia and Florida. The trip features beautiful scenery along the river, an optional excursion into the Okefenokee Swamp and camping and catered meals at historic Traders Hill in Charlton County. It will also highlight the threat posed to the river and the nearby Okefenokee Swamp by a proposed heavy mineral sands mine nearby along the edges of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. 

The group comes north April 19-20 for a two-day trip on the Chattahoochee River through South Fulton, Douglas, Carroll and Coweta counties. Participants will camp and enjoy catered meals and educational programs at new “paddle-in campsites” featuring showers, flush toilets and other amenities. The sites were developed during the past year as part of the Chattahoochee RiverLands project. The project is an effort to connect communities along the river from Metro Atlanta to Carroll and Coweta counties through a series of public parks, riverside recreational paths and boating trails on the river. 

Then on May 3-4, Georgia Rivers goes coastal for a two-day adventure exploring the Altamaha River delta. On water, participants will travel amongst the labyrinth of islands and creeks formed in the delta and through narrow canals dug by the enslaved that harnessed the ebb and flow of the river’s tides to grow rice and create untold wealth for the owners of antebellum rice plantations. Educational programs during the weekend will highlight the history of these plantations and the Gullah-Geechee culture that grew from this region. The event will feature on-river camping at Altamaha Regional Park and catered meals. 

Georgia Rivers’ paddle trips continue throughout the summer with its signature Paddle Georgia event, a seven-day journey on South Chickamauga Creek and the Tennessee River June 15-22. The 20th anniversary trip will travel through Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama, covering seven days and more than 80 miles of paddling paths. Registration will open in early February. 

Trips on the Upper Chattahoochee River, Big Cedar Creek, West Chickamauga Creek, Yellow River, Flint River and Okefenokee Swamp and Suwannee River are planned between July and November. The adventures are more than just paddle trips as participants also have the opportunity to participate in cleanups and water quality monitoring. 

The organization’s slate of kayaking instruction and water safety classes will be announced early next year. 

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

For more Information:

Joe Cook, Paddle Georgia Coordinator, 706-409-0128 or joe@garivers.org

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Georgia Rivers, formerly known as Georgia River Network, is a statewide non-profit river advocacy group with the mission to connect people with and protect Georgia’s rivers. GRN is GA DNR’s non-profit river recreation partner coordinating the statewide water trails program and created the Georgia River Guide free mobile app.