Full Hunters Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-10-06

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our watery living room, Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, just west of Lakeland, Georgia. Come see the sun set, the moon rise, and probably bats fly from cypress trees!

This Outing is honoring Farmers, who get free entry.

When: Gather 6 PM, launch 6:30 PM, moonrise 6:53 PM, sunset 7:11 PM, end 8 PM, Monday, October 6, 2025

Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).

GPS: 31.034824, -83.096725

[Full Hunters Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-10-06, Just west of Lakeland, GA, sunset, moonrise, and maybe bats]
Full Hunters Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-10-06, Just west of Lakeland, GA, sunset, moonrise, and maybe bats

Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp

Boats: Bring your own canoe or kayak if you have it.
Thanks to Lanier County and Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.
To reserve a kayak or canoe, please use this eventbrite ticket:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kayak-canoe-reservation-for-banks-lake-full-hunters-moon-2025-10-06-tickets-1747068070629

Bring: the usual personal flotation device, boat, paddles, food, drinking water, warm clothes, and first aid kit.
Also trash pickers and trash bags: every WWALS outing is also a cleanup.
Please follow Leave No Trace principles by packing out all trash, avoiding damage to vegetation, and respecting wildlife.

[Boats, moon, and bat tree, 2023-10-28 --jsq for WWALS]
Boats, moon, and bat tree, 2023-10-28 –jsq for WWALS

Safety: Be on time. If you miss the safety briefing, you cannot paddle with us.
Each person in a boat, no matter how young or old, must wear a PFD.
You must have a light for your boat or some type of light to have on yourself (glow sticks work well, or head lamp, flashlight, etc.) so other boaters can see you in the dark. It will be totally dark after sunset.
A whistle is not required, but it’s a good idea in the dark.
And please do not shine bright white lights in people’s eyes! Full dark adaptation can take more than 20 minutes, and a bright light can ruin it in seconds. A red lens is helpful if we’re fortunate to get close enough to watch bats emerging from tree roost.

[Light and dark adaptation chinnu (slide 13)]
Light and dark adaptation chinnu (slide 13) –Bidhuna Raj

Free: This outing is free to WWALS members, and $10 (ten dollars) for non-members. Please prepay the $10 online:
https://wwals.net/outings
Or bring cash to the outing. Credit card payments may or may not be available.

We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1945420476245980/
https://www.meetup.com/withlacoochee-alapaha-suwannee-rivers-wwals-outings/events/311238289/

Duration: 2 hours

Paddle: 2 miles, 1.5 hours.

Shuttle: none, none.

Host: Kim Tanner

Contact: Kim Tanner

Backup: in case of bad weather or high or low water is: Cancel

More: For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

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