Happy New Year! Join us for our first paddle of 2026 on beautiful Banks Lake. We’ll paddle the perimeter of the lake, which is approximately 4 miles around. Once we launch there will be no place to get out of your kayak until we return to the boat ramp. Dress accordingly for the weather, we will cancel if it’s raining.

When: Gather 9:30 AM, launch 10 AM, end 12 PM, Thursday, January 1, 2026

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

First Day Paddle at Banks Lake, Happy New Year, January 1, 2026

Take Out: Banks Lake Boat Ramp

Boats: Bring your own kayak or canoe if you can.
If you do not have one, we may be able to provide one if you ask in advance.

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.

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.

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: facebook
https://www.meetup.com/withlacoochee-alapaha-suwannee-rivers-wwals-outings/events/312502039/

Duration: 2.5 hours

Paddle: 4 miles, 2 hours.

Shuttle: none, none.

Host: Shirley Kokidko

Contact: Shirley Kokidko

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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