Paddle Georgia 2008 Journey Details

We’ve shot the Chattahoochee, adventured on the Etowah, and admired the Ocmulgee. Now with nearly 350 miles behind us, the Paddle Georgia Navy sails Southwest Georgia’s Flint River. Paddle Georgia 2008 will cover 95 miles of the river that Gov. Jimmy Carter once saved from a dam project. From its headwaters beneath Atlanta’s Jackson-Hartsfield Airport, it flows south to grow into one of Georgia’s longest stretches of undammed river—a stretch that is arguably one of the most breathtakingly scenic in the state.

The towering bluffs of Pine Mountain highlight the river’s journey through the Piedmont where shoals, rapids and rocky islands hold sway, but as the river descends into the bread basket of the state, beautiful sandbars and bluffs of the high Coastal Plain await paddlers at each bend.

You’ll paddle through Sprewell Bluff State Park, snake your way between forested banks flanked by the massive Magnolia Swamp and float beneath the bluffs of Montezuma. Off river, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the Flint and its surroundings through water monitoring opportunities, visits to historic sites and area attractions and tours of industrial facilities. Nightly activities at campsites will include entertainment, games and programs highlighting the river’s cultural and natural heritage. An educational adventure for the whole family, Paddle Georgia will show you Georgia as you’ve never sent it before.

	Day 1: Pine Mountain Merengue—Perhaps the most scenic stretch of river in Georgia, this 14-mile jaunt will make you feel like you’re in the midst of Georgia’s Blue Ridge, except on a broad, shoal-filled river that provides breathtaking views of towering Pine Mountain. More details and photos...
	Day 2: Sprewell Bluff Slide —Where once a dam was proposed, the Flint now flows free through Sprewell Bluff State Park, rushing south to meet the fall line across 11-miles of Class I-II whitewater, including a portage around the infamous Class III obstacle dubbed Yellow Jacket Shoals. More details and photos...
	Day 3: Po Biddy Polka —From the launch site at Po Biddy Road, the Flint jogs to the east for 14 miles, seemingly unwilling to depart the Piedmont, and leaving you to navigate through stretches of flat water interrupted frequently by shoals and braided paths through numerous island complexes. More details and photos...
	Day 4: Auchumpkee Cha Cha —The Piedmont’s last gasp. Midway through this 12-mile paddle near Auchumpkee Creek, you’ll trade the rocky islands and shoals of the Piedmont for the sandbars and high bluffs common of the Flint’s Coastal Plain. More details and photos...
	Day 5: Magnolia Swamp Stomp—Flanked by the massive Magnolia Swamp, during this remote 18-mile paddle you’ll wind between forested banks where oxbow lakes, the remnants of the river’s old channel, dot the map. More details and photos...
	Day 6: Cut Off Conga—Twenty years ago, this 12-mile paddle from Hawkins Bridge to Miona Ferry would have been a 13-mile paddle; such is life on the Coastal Plain where rivers constantly seek new paths to the sea. Wildlife, in the form of gators, deer, beaver and wild hogs, is abundant. More details and photos...
	Day 7: Montezuma Bluff Bump—Winding through lowland forested swamps, the journey’s final day sets you on a collision course with the Montezuma Bluffs, a 450-high ridge covered in hardwoods and draped in Spanish moss that parallels the river for 11 miles. The day ends between the twin Flint River towns of Oglethorpe and Montezuma. More details and photos...

Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Research Project

Join Georgia Adopt-A-Stream to assess the health of the River. During the trip, volunteers will learn about Adopt-A-Stream monitoring protocols and participate in monitoring activities to better understand this dynamic river system. All volunteers will have the opportunity to become a certified Adopt-A-Stream Chemical Monitor upon completion of the workshop. No prior training needed. Simply check the box on the registration form to receive information about this opportunity.