Registration open for Paddle Georgia

The country’s largest week-long canoe/kayak camping adventure this year embarks on the Yellow and Ocmulgee Rivers between Stone Mountain and Macon to highlight Georgia’s emerging water trail system.

The event, which attracts more than 400 participants each year, is set for June 16-22.

Registration for the annual event organized by Georgia River Network is open online at www.garivers.org/ paddle_georgia. Registration is on a first-come, first serve basis until all spaces are sold.

The 14th annual Paddle Georgia charts a four-day course through suburban Atlanta on the Yellow River in Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton counties to Lake Jackson and then continues for three more days on the Ocmulgee River, flowing through Jasper, Butts, Monroe and Jones counties before finishing in Macon.

Local river boosters, with assistance from Georgia River Network, are developing water trails on both the Yellow and Ocmulgee by improving public access to the rivers, providing information about river conditions and promoting events on these rivers.

A past Paddle Georgia participant is helping lead the effort to establish the Yellow River Water Trail. Tonya Bechtler, a resident of Covington, first participated in Paddle Georgia in 2009.

Paddle Georgia participants will utilize many of these facilities, including camping for four nights at Porterdale’s Yellow River Park along the river in the heart of the historic Newton County textile mill village.

Registration fees are $425 for adults, $230 for children 8-17 and $30 for children 7 and under. A very limited number of spaces are available for “Paddle Georgia Lite,” an abbreviated version of the trip that includes either the first two days of the trip (June 16-17) or the last two days of the trip (June 21-22). Registration fees for Paddle Georgia Lite are $120, $70 and $15. Additional registration information is available at www.garivers.org/paddle_georgia.

The event, billed as an environmental education adventure for the whole family, is designed to connect people with Georgia’s rivers. In addition to paddling about 12 miles each day, participants will learn about the river through nightly programs about the river’s ecology and cultural history and special tours of historic sites and industrial facilities. A street party is planned in Porterdale on June 17 featuring music, food and canoe tug-o-war competitions.

The route along the Yellow River features impressive shoals, rock outcroppings and bluffs reminiscent of nearby Stone Mountain and includes two portages around historic mill dams at Milstead and Porterdale that provide access to little seen portions of the river. The route continues into Jackson Lake where another portage will take paddlers to the Ocmulgee, formed by the Yellow, South and Alcovy rivers. On the Ocmulgee, paddlers will get a first hand look at a river as it leaves Georgia’s hilly Piedmont region and crosses the fall line into the Coastal Plain. Shoals, rapids, beautiful scenery, and even a stop at the legendary Whistle Stop Café in Juliette highlight the journey to Macon.

Those interested in participating can get more information at the Paddle Georgia website at http://www. garivers.org/paddle_georgia or by contacting Joe Cook at 706-409-0128 or joecookpg@gmail.com, or contacting Dana Skelton at 706-549-4508 or info@ garivers.org.