Paddle Georgia, the Peach State’s annual week-long canoe and kayak camping expedition, will travel from the Appalachian Mountains of north Georgia through the ridges and valleys of northwest Georgia along the Cartecay, Coosawattee, Oostanaula and Coosa rivers June 14-20.
Registration closes May 31, according to a press release from the organization. More than 300 participants are expected for the event, considered the largest of its kind in the country. The 95-mile route runs from Ellijay to Rome and includes Class II whitewater sections and stretches of flatwater through one of the region’s most biodiverse river systems.
Event Details
While most participants join for the full seven-day journey, two-, three- and four-day options are also available. Adult registration fees range from $160 for two days to $460 for seven days and include campsites with showers and flush toilets, shuttle and guide services, daily educational programs, an event T-shirt and decal, overnight boat security, and daily river maps and guides. Discounts are available for children and families.
Catered meals may be purchased separately. Participants must supply their own watercraft; rentals are available through Paddle Georgia sponsors and nearby outfitters.
The Route
Now in its 21st year, Paddle Georgia begins on the Cartecay River, which merges with the Ellijay River in Ellijay. The route continues down the Coosawattee River to Carters Lake — the deepest reservoir east of the Mississippi River — before a portage around Carters Dam leads to a float through Murray and Gordon counties.
At Calhoun, the Coosawattee joins the Conasauga to form the Oostanaula River, which carries paddlers through the final three days of the journey. The trip concludes in Rome at the confluence of the Oostanaula and Etowah rivers, where the Coosa River begins. In all, participants paddle seven rivers.
Trip highlights include whitewater guidance through Class II rapids, visits to Native American landmarks such as New Echota Historic Site, rock fish weirs built by the region’s original inhabitants, aquatic species found nowhere else in the world, and historic downtown Rome.
Education and Conservation
The event features daily enrichment programs and children’s activities. Participants may also become certified as Georgia Adopt-A-Stream volunteer citizen water monitors and will assist with a trash removal effort along a section of the Oostanaula River.
Georgia Rivers uses a portion of each registration fee to advocate for water-protection policies and improved public access to Georgia’s 70,000 miles of rivers and streams, the release said. Since 2005, Paddle Georgia events have drawn more than 7,000 participants and generated more than $1 million for river protection and water trail development statewide.
“Paddle Georgia is an event like no other — it’s kind of like summer camp for adults and families,” said Rena Peck, executive director of Georgia Rivers. “If you and your family love adventure and the outdoors, this trip should be on your bucket list.”
Peck added that increased public participation has produced tangible conservation results. “Georgia’s streams are getting cleaner as more people advocate on their behalf, participate in river cleanups, and hold state regulators and water users accountable for protecting our water,” she said.
Sponsorship
Sponsors include Georgia Power Co., Hennessy Land Rover, Southwire, Southern Company Gas, Troncalli Subaru, REI, Patagonia, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and others. Partners include the Georgia Canoeing Association and Georgia Adopt-A-Stream.
Businesses or individuals interested in sponsoring Paddle Georgia 2026 should contact Joe Cook at joe@garivers.org.
Registration and event information are available here.
Georgia Rivers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Georgia’s rivers and streams and improving public access to the state’s waterways.
Read more on RoughDraftAtlanta.com.
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