Local Resident Set to Paddle 106 miles on 7-Day Canoe/ Kayak Adventure down Georgia's Flint River

Local Resident Set to Paddle 106 miles on 7-Day Canoe/ Kayak Adventure down Georgia's Flint River

Lilburn resident Chris Thompson is gearing up to paddle 106 miles this summer as part of Georgia River Network’s (GRN) Paddle Georgia 2013, a week-long canoe/kayak journey taking place June 15-21 on the lower Flint River from Warwick to Bainbridge. The annual canoe and kayak adventure brings together more than 350 people each year from across the Southeast, the U.S. and world for the week-long journey.

An annual educational adventure and fundraiser for GRN, a statewide river advocacy group, Paddle Georgia is entering its ninth year. In the event’s first eight years, organizers have guided more than 2400 paddlers down more than 800 miles of Georgia rivers, including trips on the Chattahoochee, Etowah, Ocmulgee, upper Flint, Coosawattee-Oostanaula, Broad-Savannah, Oconee and Altamaha rivers.  The trips have generated more than $125,000 for river protection in Georgia.

The popular trip has become the largest week-long canoe/kayak camping adventure in the country. Registration for Paddle Georgia 2013 opened in mid-February and the trip sold out in just 24 hours.

Paddle Georgia 2013 will introduce paddlers’ to southwest Georgia’s unique Flint River. Fed by clear, cold springs bubbling up from the Floridan Aquifer, the lower Flint flows 106 beautiful miles from Lake Blackshear Dam near Warwick, through Albany and on to Bainbridge and the backwaters of Lake Seminole. Along the way, paddlers will coast beneath ancient limestone bluffs, cool off in “blue hole” springs and get a chance to see alligators, otters, bald eagles and a host of other wildlife. 

Fashioned after the annual Bicycle Ride Across Georgia, Paddle Georgia is more than just a canoe trip. The event includes educational programs on the river’s cultural and natural history, tours of facilities and historic sites located along the river, nightly games and entertainment, and even a research program in which participants will help collect chemical and biological data to give a snapshot of the current health of the river.

Organizers are billing it as an inexpensive, eco-friendly vacation. “For less than $60 a day you get an all inclusive vacation,” said Georgia River Network Executive Director, April Ingle. “Paddlers meet great people, learn about our rivers and see parts of Georgia most people never get a chance to see.” 

On the river by day, at night, the participants will camp Chehaw Park, Mitchell County High School, Bainbridge High School, and Cheney Griffin Park in Bainbridge. For additional fees, catered breakfasts and dinners are provided, along with sack lunches.

In addition to supporting GRN’s efforts to protect Georgia’s rivers, proceeds from this year’s event will also benefit the Flint Riverkeeper.

Through support from sponsors and individuals, GRN also offers “scholarships” for under-served youth to participate in the trip.

Sponsors of the event include Georgia Power; Hennessy Land Rover Centres; Patagonia;  Oglethorpe Power Corporation; StreamTechs; Stack and Associates; Cedar Creek RV and Outdoor Center; Cellairis; Len Foote Hike Inn; Chambliss, Sheppard, Roland & Baxter LLP; China Clay Producers Association; Sea to Summit; The Outside World; Carrier Transicold.

Georgia River Network is a non-profit 501c3 organization working to ensure a clean water legacy by engaging and empowering Georgians to protect, restore and enjoy our rivers from the mountains to the coast.

For more information, contact Joe Cook at 706-409-0128 or via e-mail at joecookpg@gmail.com, or contact April Ingle at 706-549-4508 or via e-mail at ingle@garivers.org, or visit www.garivers.org and click on the Paddle Georgia link.

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Photos are available upon request. If you would like to arrange a photo shoot or interview, contact Gwyneth Moody at 706-549-4508.