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

Morganton Point Recreation Area

Northwest Georgia Mountains
Lake Dr.
Morganton, GA 30560
706-374-1645

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Mountain Park Aquatic Center

Atlanta Metro
1063 Rockbridge Rd.
Stone Mountain, GA 30087
770-814-6054

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Murphs Surf at Little River Marina

Northwest Georgia Mountains
6986 Bells Ferry Rd
Canton, GA 30114
678-672-9917

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Murphs Surf at The Mill on Etowah River

Northwest Georgia Mountains
141 Railroad St., Unit 118
Canton, GA 30114
770-744-3206

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Nantahala Outdoor Center

Atlanta Metro
203 Azalea Dr.
Roswell, GA 30075
770-999-0625

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Nantahala Outdoor Center – Chattooga

Northeast Georgia Mountains
Off U.S. Hwy. 76 E.
Clayton, GA 29664

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New Echota Rivers Alliance

Northwest Georgia Mountains
1282 GA-53 Spur
Calhoun, GA 30701
770-789-9007

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North Island Surf and Kayak

Georgia Coast
1-C Old Tybee Rd.
Tybee Island, GA 31328
912-786-4000

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Ocean Motion Surf Co.

Georgia Coast
1300 Ocean Blvd.
St. Simons Island, GA 31522
912-638-5225

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Ocmulgee Expeditions

Historic Heartland

Macon, GA 31201
478-757-8226

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Ocmulgee River Water Trail – Forsyth

Historic Heartland
Highway 83 Bridge
Juliette, GA 31046
478-974-1460

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Ocmulgee River Water Trail – Macon

Magnolia Midlands
Mobley Bluff Rd. off Hwy. 107 E.
Fitzgerald, GA 31750
229-426-5033

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Oconee Springs Park

Historic Heartland
109 S. Spring Rd.
Eatonton, GA 31024
706-485-8423

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Ogeechee Outpost

Georgia Coast
182 Rose Dr.
Ellabelle, GA 31308
912-748-6716

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Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Georgia Coast
4155 Suwannee Canal Rd.
Folkston, GA 31537
912-496-7836

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Olde Rope Mill Park

Northwest Georgia Mountains
690 Rope Mill Rd.
Woodstock, GA 30188
770-517-6788

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Ossabaw Island

Georgia Coast
22814 GA Hwy. 144
Richmond Hill, GA 31324
912-727-2112

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Paddle4Tomorrow

Atlanta Metro
1240 Chattahoochee Ave. NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
678-778-7377

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Panola Mountain State Park- DeKalb

Atlanta Metro
2600 Hwy.155 S W
Stockbridge, GA 30280
770-389-7801

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Port of Indecision at Margaritaville Lanier Islands

Northeast Georgia Mountains
7000 Lake Lanier Islands Pkwy.
Buford, GA 30518
770-932-7255

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Primitive Outback Kayaking & Gem Mining

NE GA Mountains
155 Robin Lynn Ln.
Otto, NC 28763
828-349-1717

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Reed Bingham State Park

Plantation Trace
542 Reed Bingham Rd.
Adel, GA 31771
229-896-3551

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Richmond Hill Wildlife Management Area

Georgia Coast
U.S. Hwy. 144
Richmond Hill, GA 31324
912-756-2676

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Ridge Ferry Park

Northwest Georgia Mountains
393 Riverside Pkwy.
Rome, GA 30161
706-291-0766

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Ringgold Nature Trail

Northwest Georgia Mountains
South Chickamauga Creek
Ringgold, GA 30736
706-935-3061

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River Bluff at Lake Walter F. George

Plantation Trace
Off GA Hwy. 82
Georgetown, GA 39851
229-768-2516

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River’s End Campground & RV Park

Georgia Coast
5 Fort Ave.
Tybee Island, GA 31328
912-786-5518

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Riverbend Park

West Georgia
962 Riverbend Park Rd.
Cusseta, GA 31805
706-989-9911

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Riverside Park

Atlanta Metro
575 Riverside Rd.
Roswell, GA 30075
770-640-3253

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Rolling Thunder River Company

Northwest Georgia Mountains
20 Hughes St.
McCaysville, GA 30555
800-408-7238

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