DO IT: Paddling & Floating

Georgia’s Lakes, Rivers and Ocean: Paddle On

You’ll find water everywhere in Georgia – from our pristine stretch of beaches along the Atlantic
Ocean to our serene lakes, rustic rivers, waterfalls, and wetlands.

Skim across the placid waters of Lake Lanier, beautiful Lake Chatuge or Lake Rabun in a canoe or kayak. Or tube down the Chattahoochee River within sight of the Atlanta skyline.

Overnight camping or day-long sojourns allow you time to snag a bass at Florence Marina State Park on Lake Walter F. George, wash your worries away at High Falls State Park or float peacefully through Stephen C. Foster State Park in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

More than 396,000 acres of wilderness adventure await you in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, one of the best preserved and oldest freshwater wildernesses in America. Paddle the 120 miles of the Okefenokee’s crisscrossing canoe, kayak, and boat trails for an unforgettable outdoor experience.

Explore Georgia’s biodiversity, whether kayak fishing the Chattahoochee River, ocean kayaking alongside a dolphin, or canoeing past analligator to reach the perfect birding point in a tidal marsh. Our mountain and piedmont waterways wind their way to the Georgia coast, where thousands of miles of salt marshes, oak and pine forests, and nature trails offer glimpses of manatees, fish, deer,bear, and millions of migrating and local birds.

The mill pond at George L. Smith State Park in Twin City beckons anglers and paddlers to explore tupelo and cypress tree stands dripping with Spanish moss, and to look for beaver dams and wading birds such as blue heron and white ibis. Canoeists and kayakers can join the Park Paddlers Club, and nearby outfitters offer guided paddle trips.

Another great place to paddle is on the Altamaha River, designated by the Nature Conservancy as one of the 75 “Last Great Places” in the world. You can put the canoe or kayak in at Uvalda near the confluence of the Oconee, Ocmulgee and Altamaha rivers and follow the Altamaha 137 miles, all the way to the sea.

Sapelo Island Reserve, home of a unique Geechee-Gullah community, Skidaway Island State Park, Jekyll Island and Crooked River State Park are special places among the many coastal refuges and parks of the coast and Georgia’s unique barrier islands. Tackle them on your own or secure the services of knowledgeable outfitters and charters. Experience the magic of canoeing or kayaking the Atlantic Ocean, Intracoastal Waterway or black water river, dolphin watching on an eco-tour.

We swim, fish, boat, canoe, and kayak. Let the water soothe your soul or ignite your passions,
whether you find it in mountain meadows, piedmont forests, or coastal plains.

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Paddling & Floating - Locations

Bobby Brown Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
2509 Bobby Brown State Park Rd.
Elberton, GA 30635
706-283-5500

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Bullard Creek WMA – Towns Bluff Tract

Magnolia Midlands
Bell Telephone Rd.
Hazlehurst, GA 31539
229-426-5267

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Butts County Visitor Center

Historic Heartland
25 Third St.
Jackson, GA 30233
770-775-4839

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Chattahoochee Bend State Park

West Georgia
425 Bobwhite Way
Newnan, GA 30263
770-254-7271

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Chattahoochee Wildlife Management Area

Northeast Georgia Mountains
Off GA Hwy. Alt. 75 and GA Hwy. 75 N.
Helen, GA 30545
706-535-5700

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City of Forsyth CVB

Historic Heartland
20 N. Jackson St.
Forsyth, GA 31029
478-974-1460

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Cool River Tubing and Adventures

Northeast Georgia Mountains
590 Edelweiss Strasse
Helen, GA 30545
706-878-2665

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Covington Visitors Center

Historic Heartland
1143 Oak St. SE
Covington, GA 30014
770-385-2077

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Crooked River State Park

Georgia Coast
6222 Charlie Smith Sr. Hwy.
St. Marys, GA 31558
912-882-5256

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Doll Mountain Campground at Carters Lake

Northwest Georgia Mountains
1362 Doll Mountain Rd.
Ellijay, GA 30540
877-444-6777

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Don Carter State Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
5000 N. Browning Bridge Rd.
Gainesville, GA 30506
678-450-7726

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Elbert County Wildlife Management Area

Northeast Georgia Mountains
Off GA Hwy. 72
Elberton, GA 30635
770-595-4222

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F.D. Roosevelt State Park

West Georgia
2970 GA Hwy. 190
Pine Mountain, GA 31822-2200
706-663-4858

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Factory Shoals Park

Historic Heartland
450 Newton Factory Bridge Rd.
Covington, GA 30014
678-699-2809

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Fort McAllister State Park

Georgia Coast
3894 Fort McAllister Rd.
Richmond Hill, GA 31324
912-727-2339

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Fort Mountain State Park

Northwest Georgia Mountains
181 Fort Mountain Park Rd.
Chatsworth, GA 30705
706-422-1932

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Fort Yargo State Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
210 S. Broad St.
Winder, GA 30680
770-867-3489

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General Coffee State Park

Magnolia Midlands
46 John Coffee Rd.
Nicholls, GA 31554
912-384-7082

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George T. Bagby State Park and Lodge

Plantation Trace
330 Bagby Pkwy.
Fort Gaines, GA 39851
229-768-2571

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Georgia State Parks

Atlanta Metro
2600 Hwy. 155 SW
Stockbridge, GA 30281
770-389-7286

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Helen Tubing and Waterpark

Northeast Georgia Mountains
9917 Hwy. 75 N.
Helen, GA 30545
706-878-1082

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High Falls State Park

Historic Heartland
76 High Falls Park Dr.
Jackson, GA 30233
478-993-3053

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High Falls State Park – Forsyth

Historic Heartland
76 High Falls Park Dr.
Jackson, GA 30233
478-993-3053

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Indian Springs State Park

Historic Heartland
678 Lake Clark Rd.
Flovilla, GA 30216
770-504-2277

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Jack Hill State Park

Magnolia Midlands
322 Park Ln./Hwy. 280 W.
Reidsville, GA 30453
912-557-7744

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James H. Floyd State Park

Northwest Georgia Mountains
2800 'Sloppy' Floyd Lake Rd.
Summerville, GA 30747
706-857-0826

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Kolomoki Mounds State Park

Plantation Trace
205 Indian Mounds Rd.
Blakely, GA 39823
229-724-2150

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Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club

West Georgia
2459H U.S. Hwy. 280 W.
Cordele, GA 31015
229-276-1004

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Lake Chatuge

Northeast Georgia Mountains
U.S. Hwy. 76
Hiawassee, GA 30546
706-896-4966

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Lake Lanier

Northeast Georgia Mountains
Northeast Georgia
Gainesville, GA 30501
770-297-5499

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Featured Attractions