Paddle Georgia registration closes May 31! Join us June 15-22 or opt for a 2, 3, or 4 day trip.

 Register here.

Dear River Protector,

Summer is here! Georgia Rivers has already launched into the peak river recreation season with boater safety training and trips on our water trails. Please check out our full calendar of events  and register for a trip or class today! 

I would like to thank each of our staff, board members, volunteers, supporters and friends for making these moments on Georgia rivers possible. We would not be able to host these programs and paddle trips all across Georgia without your help! 

I invite you to join fellow paddlers and river protectors at the Georgia Rivers Gala on September 18 at the Ivan Allen Family Meadow (near the Governor’s mansion) in Atlanta to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Paddle Georgia. We sold out last year, so get your tickets today!

Yours in river recreation and conservation, 

Rena Ann Peck

Executive Director

Gala Sponsorships Support Paddle Georgia

Join us September 18 at the Ivan Allen Family Meadow in Atlanta to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Paddle Georgia!

Gala proceeds will support the future of river conservation paddle trips and the protection of water trails from the Chattahoochee River to the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail.

This year's gala will also feature artisans with traditional Muscogee dugout canoes and honor Okefenokee Wilderness champions. To purchase tickets, sponsor or learn more, visit our event website.

On our final night of Paddle Georgia we will host a special family reunion for past Paddle Georgia participants. The evening will feature a low country boil and time to tell stories and memories from 20 years of Paddle Georgia. 

Those who are not Paddle Georgia 2025 participants can register for this special event too!

Kayak Fish with the NEW Crescent Kayak Smallie

Georgia Rivers is proud to be selected as the “cause behind the craft” for the launch of the new Crescent Smallie, a compact throw ‘n go fishing kayak that's perfect for exploring Georgia's water trails. 

Crescent Kayaks is a local Georgia river recreation outfitter based in Carrollton. Support this small business and a portion of Crescent Smallie proceeds will support our work to protect the places we love to paddle and fish!

Learn more about our emerging Fish Georgia Rivers programming:

Okefenokee in the News

Georgia Rivers reviewed Georgia's draft State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), a strategy to guide conservation efforts for wildlife and their habitats during the next 10 years (2025-2035).

Rena Ann Peck submitted comments to DNR to highlight the biodiversity in the Okefenokee National Wildlife/Trail Ridge wildlife habitat hub and asked them to give greater weight to development as mining threatens the region. We also provided maps, a list of additional species of concern to protect, and climate refuge science that shows the region should be designated as a top priority wildlife hub and receive state land protection investment.

Georgia leaders have spoken up for the Okefenokee. Former Governor Sonny Perdue spoke up to back Okefenokee World Heritage status and Senator Jon Ossoff asked the Interior Secretary to protect the Refuge and continue support for World Heritage designation.

The Current reported on the state of Twin Pines Minerals as their wait for mining permits continues.

Upcoming Events

Georgia Rivers and Partners Hosted NSBW Kayaking 101

Georgia celebrated its second year hosting Kayaking 101 classes across the state to kick off National Safe Boating Week. We collectively rallied 21 ACA-certified instructors and 27 additional volunteers to train 75 new paddlers at 7 sites in one day, offering a mix of flatwater, river, and coastal kayaking instruction. 

This kind of statewide presence during National Safe Boating Week is only possible through our partnership with US Army Corps of Engineers, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, Georgia Power, Trust for Public Land, Forsyth County Parks and Recreation, Nantahala Outdoor Center, City of Chattahoochee Hills, Chattahoochee RiverLands, Moon River Kayak Tours, Middle GA Kayaking, Kayak Trips and Training, Georgia Canoeing Association, Whitewater Express- Columbus GA, Festive Water Paddlesports, Wildwood Outfitters, Coosa River Basin Initiative, Westbrook Supply Co., and the volunteer instructors of ACA Georgia.

In the process, we partnered with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary to secure Governor Brian Kemp's support for a Safe Boating Week proclamation!

A big thanks to our volunteer instructors, safety boaters and location hosts!

Our own Andrea White showed Paul Miliken paddle tips on Good Day Atlanta! Watch them in action here.

The First Paddle-a-thon Leaderboard is Here!

Paddle-a-thon, our annual paddling competition and peer-to-peer fundraising event, gives paddlers a way to protect their waterways while exploring Georgia's rivers. Each logged paddle trip shows state officials where paddlers explore established water trails.

We are one month into Paddle-a-thon and have a leaderboard to show you the competition in each category!

Remember, participants can log ALL paddle trips anywhere they paddle from Jan 1 through the end of Paddle-a-thon in October. Turn in those Adventure Logs!

Join Paddle-a-thon and see the May leaderboard on our Paddle-a-thon page.

Altamaha River Delta Adventure

Georgia Rivers explored the delta of Georgia’s largest river the first weekend in May.

On Day 1 paddlers traveled 15 miles to the historic coastal town of Darien, winding through a labyrinth of river islands and creeks, and down Rifle Cut, a circa-1820s canal, to the docks of Darien.

On Day 2 the flotilla rode the tide up the Darien River and through narrow canals on Potosi Island. These water trails first dug by the enslaved during the antebellum period for rice-producing plantations.

Educational programs each night highlighted the rich Black history found in the Altamaha delta and on the state’s coastal islands where the Gullah-Geechee culture lives on.

Connect with us!