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

Elbert County Chamber of Commerce

Northeast Georgia Mountains
148 College Ave.
Elberton, GA` 30635
706-283-5651

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Elijah Clark State Park

Classic South
2959 McCormick Hwy.
Lincolnton, GA 30817
706-359-3458

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Ellijay River Outfitters

Northwest Georgia Mountains
88 Holt Bridge Rd.
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-889-8697

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Etowah River Park

Northwest Georgia Mountains
600 Brown Industrial Pkwy.
Canton, GA 30114
770-720-7674

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Etowah River Water Trail

Northwest Georgia Mountains
408 Broad St.
Rome, GA 30161
706-232-2724

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Explore Highway 341

Magnolia Midlands
9 East Oak St.
McRae-Helena, GA 31055
229-868-6365

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Flint River Outdoor Center

West Georgia
4429 Woodland Rd. Hwy. 36 W.
Thomaston, GA 30286
706-647-2633

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Flint River Wildlife Management Area

West Georgia
GA Hwy. 27 to Hwy. 230 on River Rd.
Vienna, GA 31015
229-430-4254

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Florence Marina State Park

West Georgia
218 Florence Rd.
Omaha, GA 31821
229-838-6870

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Flowery Branch Bay Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
6111 Mitchell St.
Flowery Branch, GA 30542
770-967-6371

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Fort King George

Georgia Coast
302 McIntosh Rd.
Darien, GA 31305
912-437-4770

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Forward Rabun

Northeast Georgia Mountains
10 Seed Tick Rd.
Clayton, GA 30525
706-212-0241

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Foxhall Resort

Atlanta Metro
8000 Capps Ferry Rd.
Douglasville, GA 30134
770-489-4380

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Frederica Golf Club

Georgia Coast
30 Pikes Bluff Lane
St. Simons Island, GA 31522
912-634-6900

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Garrard Landing Park

Atlanta Metro
8000 Holcomb Bridge Rd.
Roswell, GA 30075
770-640-3253

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George L. Smith State Park

Classic South
371 George L. Smith State Park Rd.
Twin City, GA 30471
478-763-2750

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Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park

West Georgia
2459-A U.S. Hwy. 280 W.
Cordele, GA 31015
229-276-2371

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Georgia Watersports

Historic Heartland
3016 N. Columbia St.
Milledgeville, GA 31061
478-454-0084

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Gordon County Parks & Recreation

Northwest Georgia Mountains
7494 Fairmount Hwy.
Calhoun, GA 30701
706-602-4435

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Griffin Ridge Wildlife Management Area

Magnolia Midlands
Hwy. 301
Ludowici, GA 31316
912-262-3173

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Hamburg State Park

Classic South
6071 Hamburg State Park Rd.
Mitchell, GA 30820
478-552-2393

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Hannahatchee Wildlife Management Area

West Georgia
GA Hwy. 27 W.
Richland, GA 31814
229-430-4254

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Hard Labor Creek State Park

Historic Heartland
5 Hard Labor Creek Rd.
Rutledge, GA 30663
706-557-3001

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Hart State Outdoor Recreation Area

Northeast Georgia Mountains
330 Hart Park Rd.
Hartwell, GA 30643
706-213-2045

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Hickory Log Creek Reservoir

Northwest Georgia Mountains
Fate Conn Road at Bluffs Parkway
Canton, GA 30114
770-720-7674

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Highland Marina Resort

West Georgia
1000 Seminole Rd.
LaGrange, GA 30240
706-882-3437

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Historic Banning Mills

Northwest Georgia Mountains
205 Horseshoe Dam Rd.
Whitesburg, GA 30185
770-834-9149

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Historic Fourth Ward Park

Atlanta Metro
680 Dallas St.
Atlanta, GA 30308
404-477-3660

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Holiday Campground – West Point Lake

West Georgia
954 Abbotsford Rd.
LaGrange, GA 30240
877-444-6777

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Holiday Harbor Marina

Atlanta Metro
5989 Groovers Landing
Acworth, GA 30102
770-974-2575

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Featured Attractions