Paddle Through History On The Etowah River in Cartersville

The Coosa River Basin Initiative next weekend will give local residents a chance to discover more than 1,000 years of human history in the Etowah River valley during its Paddling Through History event.

The event, set for Sunday Oct. 5, is a fundraiser to generate support for CRBI and its efforts to protect the Etowah River and create a 163-mile-long boating trail along the river from Dawsonville to Rome.

Paddling Through History will start with a tour of the historic Valley View Farm in Cartersville, a 1800s plantation home that was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War.

After the tour, patrons will stroll to the river for a six-mile paddle trip from the Farm to Euharlee. Along the way, they’ll paddle over 1,000-year-old rock dams built by the area’s original inhabitants. Native Americans used these rock weirs to capture fish, and dozens of them cross the Etowah between Cartersville and Rome.

A catered dinner by Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse will be served in the courtyard of the historic Valley View home following the paddle. The after-dinner program will include a kayak giveaway courtesy of Cedar Creek Park.

“The Etowah holds the best family paddling in north Georgia,” said David Tucker, CRBI executive director. “The historic resources in the river itself and through the river corridor are, perhaps, unsurpassed in the state. We need to develop and promote these rich cultural and recreational resources as amenities for local residents and visitors to the area.”

Earlier this summer, Bartow County broke ground on a new public boat ramp and parking area at U.S. 411 and Macedonia Road on the Etowah.

CRBI is partnering with the county on the project, providing up to $20,000 to assist with construction. And, the city of Cartersville is currently putting the finishing touches on a new canoe and kayak launch at S.R. 113, built using funds secured through a Recreational Trail Grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, with $3000 in support from CRBI.

Tickets to the event can be purchased online on CRBI’s website. The suggested donation is $75 or $130 per couple and includes canoe/kayak rentals for the paddle, dinner and beverages, a chance to win a new recreational kayak and a year’s membership in CRBI.

Only 75 tickets to the event will be sold; the RSVP deadline is Oct. 3. The event begins at 1 p.m. and runs through the early evening.

For more information contact David Tucker at 706-232-2724 or at dtucker@coosa.org.

(Photo: Paddlers drift down the Etowah River in Bartow County. The river is home to what some consider the best family paddling in North Georgia. Credit: Coosa River Basin Initiative)