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

Holiday on Lake Lanier Marina

Northeast Georgia Mountains
6900 Holiday Rd.
Buford, GA 30518-1465
770-945-7201

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Holly Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
2603 Old Thompson Bridge Rd.
Gainesville, GA 30501
770-531-2680

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Horse Creek Wildlife Management Area

Magnolia Midlands
1172 E. River Rd.
Jacksonville, GA 31544
229-426-5267

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Horseshoe Bend Park

Northwest Georgia Mountains
1156 River Rd.
Mineral Bluff, GA 30559
706-946-1130

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Houlihan Bridge Boat Landing

Georgia Coast
GA Highway 25
Port Wentworth, GA 31407

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Jekyll Island Campground

Georgia Coast
1197 Riverview Dr.
Jekyll Island, GA 31527
866-658-3021

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Joe Kurz Wildlife Management Area

West Georgia
7 miles outside Woodbury toward Gay
Gay, GA 30286
478-825-6354

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John Tanner Park

Northwest Georgia Mountains
354 Tanners Beach Rd.
Carrollton, GA 30117
770-830-2222

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Jones Bridge Trail

Atlanta Metro
Holcomb Bridge Rd.
Duluth, GA 30097
678-538-1200

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Jot Em Down Outdoors

Georgia Coast
3425 U.S. Hwy. 84 W.
Blackshear, GA 31516
912-449-0095

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Keith Bridge Park

Northeast Georgia Mountains
9720 Old Keith Bridge Rd
Gainesville, GA 30506
770-945-9531

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Kingwood Resort & Country Club

Northeast Georgia Mountains
401 Country Club Dr.
Clayton, GA 30525
706-212-4100

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Lake Allatoona

Northwest Georgia Mountains
Day Use Access: Field's Landing Park, Canton; Sweetwater Park, Canton; and Victoria Park, Woodstock
Canton, GA 30114

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Lake Blue Ridge Dam Recreation Area

Northwest Georgia Mountains
6408 Old Hwy. 76
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
706-632-5680

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Lake Blue Ridge Day Use Area

Northwest Georgia Mountains
Dry Branch Road
Blue Ridge , GA 30513
706-632-5680

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Lake Burton

Northeast Georgia Mountains
GA Hwy. 197/U.S. Hwy. 76
Clayton, GA 30523
706-782-4014

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Lake Burton Trout Hatchery

Northeast Georgia Mountains
3695 GA Hwy. 197 N.
Clarkesville, GA 30523-0346
706-947-3112

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Lake Harmony RV Park

Georgia Coast
1088 Lake Harmony Dr. SW
Townsend, GA 31331
888-767-7864

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Lake Kedron

Atlanta Metro
Lake Kedron
Peachtree City, GA 30269

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Lake Lanier Islands Resort

Atlanta Metro
7000 Holiday Rd.
Buford, GA 30518
770-932-7200

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Lake Lanier Lodges and Lanier Aqua Rentals

Northeast Georgia Mountains
6598 Lights Ferry Rd.
Flowery Branch, GA 30542
770-967-1804

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Lake Lindsay Grace

Magnolia Midlands
1167 Griffis Rd.
Screven, GA 31560
912-579-6475

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Lake Louise

Northeast Georgia Mountains
462 Sonrise Way
Toccoa, GA 30577
706-886-3133

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Lake McIntosh

Atlanta Metro
TDK Blvd and Lake McIntosh
Peachtree City, GA 30269
678-216-0282

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Lake Nottely

Northeast Georgia Mountains
U.S. Hwy. 19 and U.S. Hwy. 129 N.
Blairsville, GA 30512
706-745-5789

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Lake Oconee – Greene County

Classic South
1034 Silver Drive Suite 201
Greensboro, GA 30642
706-453-0380

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Lake Oliver

West Georgia
5501 River Rd.
Columbus, GA 31904
706-653-4634

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Lake Peachtree

Atlanta Metro
Lake Peachtree
Peachtree City, GA 30269

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Lake Rabun – Georgia Power

Northeast Georgia Mountains
Lake Rabun Rd.
Lakemont, GA 30552
706-782-4014

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Lake Russell Recreation Area

Northeast Georgia Mountains
304 Lake Russell Rd.
Mt. Airy, GA 30563
706-754-6221

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Featured Attractions