VALDOSTA – Registration for Georgia River Network’s annual Paddle Georgia event closes May 31, giving river lovers less than 26 days to secure a spot for this summer’s week-long canoe-kayak-paddleboard adventure on the Withlacoochee and Suwannee rivers.

Paddle Georgia 2019 will begin June 15 in Valdosta on the Withlacoochee River and end June 21 and 92 miles downstream on the Suwannee River near Mayo, Fla., organizers said. 

More than 260 people have already registered for the event, and space is limited. Online registration is available at https://garivers.org/paddle-georgia/. Both two-day and seven-day registration options are available.

The trip is unique in Paddle Georgia’s 15-year history in that it ends in Florida. Since the Athens-based river protection group began organizing its annual, week-long Paddle Georgia trips in 2005, it has ventured on 13 Georgia rivers and covered some 1,400 miles, but no journey has ever ventured into a neighboring state, though multiple Georgia rivers flow into Alabama, Florida and Tennessee, organizers said.

“In a day when disputes over water with our neighbor states steal the headlines, we decided it was time to highlight the fact that rivers care not a wit for arbitrary human boundaries and that our water is a shared resource,” said Joe Cook, Paddle Georgia coordinator. “Of course, we also get to see some of the most beautiful and storied rivers in Georgia and Florida.”

The Suwannee, celebrated in Stephen Foster’s song, is well known. With its origins in the Okefenokee Swamp, the Suwannee sports blackwater and moss-draped tupelo and cypress tree-lined banks and is among Florida’s most popular paddling destinations, organizers said. 

Though lesser known, the Withlacoochee serves up the same heavy dose of Deep South river vibe, they said.

But Paddle Georgia organizers are emphasizing the surprises participants will find along these rivers. 

The Withlacoochee, despite flowing through flat terrain is home to unexpected shoals, and both rivers are dotted with beautiful, cold, blue hole springs, some of which have been named among the best swimming holes in North America.

Participants will have the opportunity to visit Florida’s Madison Blue Springs and Lafayette Blue Springs state parks as they travel through Lowndes and Brooks counties in Georgia and Hamilton, Madison, Lafayette and Suwannee counties in Florida.

The group will camp at Grassy Pond Recreation Area in Lake Park and Camp Suwannee in Dowling Park, Fla. Participants traditionally tent camp during the adventure, but facilities at both campsites will give paddlers the opportunity to bed down in hostel-style lodging.

GRN will commemorate the event’s 15th anniversary by awarding 1,500-mile paddler decals to those who have participated in every trip since 2005, organizers said.

“We have many paddlers that return year after year,” Cook said, “That’s one of the special things about Paddle Georgia. There’s lots of camaraderie and paddlers support one another. Over the years, it has become something of a family reunion as much as a paddle trip.”

Registration fees are $425 for adults, $230 for children 8-17 and $30 for children 7 and younger. A 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 15-16 on the Withlacoochee) or the last two days of the trip (June 20-21 on the Suwannee), organizers said. 

Registration fees for Paddle Georgia Lite are $120, $70 and $15. Additional registration information is available at https://garivers.org/paddle-georgia/

Billed as an environmental education adventure for the whole family, the trip is designed to connect people with Georgia’s rivers. In addition to paddling about 13 miles each day, participants will have catered meals and learn through programs about the river’s ecology and cultural history as well as special tours of historic sites and industrial facilities, organizers said.

Paddle Georgia serves as a fundraiser for GRN and local watershed protection groups. Since the inaugural Paddle Georgia in 2005, GRN has introduced more than 4,300 paddlers to Georgia’s rivers and raised more than $430,000 for river protection projects. WWALS Watershed Coalition and its projects, Suwannee Riverkeeper and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, will be the beneficiaries of the 2019 journey.

Sponsors of the event include Hennessy Land Rover, Cedar Creek Park and Outdoor Center, CYA Insurance Agency, Oglethorpe Power, Cary S. Baxter & Harbin, LLC; R. Terry Pate CPA, China Clay Producers Association, Colonial Pipeline, Outside World Outfitters, Brown and Caldwell, Nestle-Purina, Len Foote Hike Inn, The Rain Barrel Depot, Vibe Kayaks, Alston & Bird, Georgia Power Company, Fruit of the Loom, Jerzees, Solar Tyme USA, Patagonia, Ryland Environmental, Chaparral Boats, Maxxis, Stream Techs, Siegel Insurance/Auto Owner’s Insurance, REI, Chattahoochee Paddle Company, Georgia Kayak Fishing, and EarthShare Georgia. Partners include American Canoe Association, Café Campesino, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Suwannee Riverkeeper, Georgia Canoeing Association, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, Project WET, Six Flags Over Georgia and Odo-Ban

Founded in 1998, Georgia River Network is a non-profit 501c3 organization that serves as the voice of Georgia’s rivers and works to empower everyone to enjoy, connect with and advocate for economically vital and clean flowing rivers.

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, (706) 409-0128 or joecookpg@gmail.com, or contacting Dana Skelton, (706) 549-4508 or info@garivers.org.