In conjunction with the Grand Opening of the Alabama Scenic River Trail at Montgomery’s Riverwalk on June 6, boaters from throughout the country will participate in the celebration by traveling in canoes, kayaks and powerboats down various segments of Alabama’s beautiful new Trail from Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico during May, June and July. Most segments of the trip will be for a week, but a special program will involve a short day trip for paddlers and powerboats in the Montgomery area on the day of the Grand Opening and include participation in the celebration.

A group of paddlers, accompanied by spectator boats, will leave Georgia and cross the state line in the Coosa River on Sunday afternoon, May 18, at 3pm, reaching Montgomery for the Grand Opening at the Riverwalk on Friday, June 6, at 11am. Depending upon their speed and time available, powerboats leaving Montgomery on the afternoon of June 6 should enjoy a pleasant trip and reach Fairhope on Mobile Bay June 9, having visited 340 miles of beautiful rivers.

Because our highways do not go along the rivers, most people are not aware of how many beautiful places there are in our state. Powerboats can make the 337 mile journey south from Montgomery to Mobile Bay with ease because of the locks operated at the three dams of the US Army Corps of Engineers, which also manages very high-quality campgrounds along the way. The trip will give boaters the opportunity to gaze at the high white cliffs that loom over the Alabama River 25 miles downstream from Selma and explore the tranquil beauty of our state’s large Delta region, rarely seen by most people.

For those who have never made a trip on our rivers, traveling with other boats will make the trip safer and more fun than traveling alone.

People can join along the way for one day, for a week, or for the entire voyage, but there will be only three organized portions for this inaugural event. A popular single-day event will take place on June 6, when paddlers will proceed from Harry’s Lounge on Highway 143 overlooking the Alabama River near Millbrook, just 6 miles upstream from Montgomery, to the Grand Opening and five more miles to Cooter Pond Park at Prattville that afternoon for a great barbeque. Or, if they want to take a week, to Cahaba, just south of Selma, arriving by canoe or kayak June 13.

If they prefer, paddlers can launch at the Montgomery Marina and paddle downstream just the 3,300 feet to the Riverwalk for the celebration.

Those wishing to paddle along for a while can join in for any portion from mid-May till early July. Dates are available from the Trail’s website. Canoes and kayaks can be rented for June 6 from Southern Trails on the Atlanta Highway, 272-0952 ($35) which includes delivery Friday morning to Montgomery Marina and pick up at Cooter Pond that evening. Participants may sign up on the website for the barbeque that evening.

The largest participation in a portion of the Trail will be the opening segment, from Rome, Georgia on May 16 to Gadsden on May 23, with a celebration as the paddlers cross the state line in Lake Weiss at 3pm on Sunday, May 18. This week will be a semi-wilderness experience, camping in tents and cooking out, with 100 canoes and kayaks expected, accompanied by 10 safety paddlers and a powerboat.

Commemorative Paddles, T-shirts, caps, detailed maps and Trail Guides can be purchased from this website. For questions regarding the events in the Montgomery area, contact Lonnie Carden at Southern Trails (334)272-0952.

For questions regarding the events in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta region, contact Fairhope Boat Company at 800 844 1781, email tchavers@faairhopeboat.com or Five Rivers Outfitters at 251 626 8464.  

If participating in any of the trip segments, please fill out and return the Medical Information Form to us. Click here to download.


Paddle Alabama October 4th and 5th

Camping, food, shuttle, all included in registration and waiver fee. Begin in Wilcox County on Saturday October 4th. Have an adventure while enjoying nature and paleontology. Paddle trip and camp in Wilcox and Clarke counties led by a state ranger.

$50 registration plus $5 American Canoe Association waiver fee, medical form required. All information must be submitted no less than 2 days before event begins.

If participating in any of the trip segments, please fill out and return the Medical Information Form to us.
>Click here to download medical form

Other forms:
> American Canoe Association Waiver Form
>Registration Form

For questions about this trip, please contact Linda at linda.tourism@yahoo.com