Ogeechee Riverkeeper invites the coastal community to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the East Coast Greenway Alliance with a paddle trip Sunday, Oct. 15 on the Ogeechee River Sunday. 

The East Coast Greenway Alliance is spending 10 weeks visiting communities along the East Coast Greenway celebrating healthy watersheds, active living, and local culture with its East Coast River Relay. This celebration, which will span over 3,000 miles, began in Calais, Maine on Aug. 24 and will conclude in Key West, Florida on Oct. 30. 

This River Relay event on the Ogeechee River begins at 9 a.m. at the Savannah-Ogeechee Canal Society, 681 Fort Argyle Road, and will end at Kings Ferry Park, 6811 Basin Road, in Savannah. Participants will enjoy a paddle on the historic Savannah-Ogeechee Canal to King’s Ferry on the Ogeechee River with leaders from the Ogeechee Riverkeeper organization, including Outreach and Water Quality Specialist Luke Roberson. This trip, which will take two to three hours to complete, will be followed by a BYO (bring your own) picnic lunch. Participants will also have the option to purchase meals at Love’s Seafood & Steaks. Picnicking paddlers will be joined by another group of environmental volunteers, who will be participating in an East Coast Greenway Alliance trail clean-up happening at the same time as the paddle trip.

Paddlers should bring snacks, water bottle(s), sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, water shoes or old tennis shoes (flip-flops and sandals are not recommended), and a dry bag or way to store your personal items. Canoes will be available to rent for $30.

The East Coast Greenway Alliance is a nonprofit organization spearheading the development of the East Coast Greenway, an ambitious network of connected walking and bicycling trails which will stretch from Maine to Florida and connect 450 communities on its 3,000-mile route – making it the country’s longest biking and walking route. The organization works with partners at every level, from federal and regional officials to state committees, local officials, and legions of dedicated volunteers to bring the dream of this 3,000-mile route to life. The East Coast Greenway follows the Coastal Georgia Greenway through Georgia’s six coastal counties linking historic and cultural sites, waterways, and natural habitats.

“The East Coast Greenway Alliance’s goal with this River Relay celebration is to bring thousands of people out to enjoy the Greenway and to remind individuals of the importance of easy access to our natural surroundings, including the many critical watersheds and rivers such as our Ogeechee River,” Roberson said. “The overarching goal we are trying to accomplish with the organization’s mission to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin, goes hand-in-hand with this celebration as we continuously encourage community members to enjoy and utilize our beautiful river.”

Participants will need to pay a $6 parking fee at the Savannah-Ogeechee Canal in order to participate in this paddle trip. Participants are not required to be Ogeechee Riverkeeper members as this paddle trip is open to the public.

For more information about the Ogeechee River Relay Race paddle trip, please check Ogeechee Riverkeeper’s Facebook page, email [email protected] or call 866-942-6222.