Tag Archives: Banks Lake Boat Ramp

Banks Lake Full Beaver Moon Paddle 2023-11-27

Update 2023-12-26: Pictures: Banks Lake Full Beaver Moon Paddle 2023-11-27.

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our watery living room, Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Before we paddle, we will be drawing the winning raffle ticket for a Vibe Sea Ghost 130 kayak; you can still get raffle tickets.

When: Gather 4:30 PM, launch 5 PM, moonrise 5:40 PM, sunset 5:31 PM, end 6:40 PM, Monday, November 27, 2023

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 moon rising over Holly Jones and family in the raffle kayak they won 2022-12-07]
Full moon rising over Holly Jones and family in the raffle kayak they won 2022-12-07

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Pictures: Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28

That was possibly the best full moon view ever, at the Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28, just after the Costume Contest.

[Banners, Sunset, Moonrise, Jupiter, Bats, Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon 2023-10-28]
Banners, Sunset, Moonrise, Jupiter, Bats, Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon 2023-10-28

The moon rose before the sun was set.

Jupiter was halfway between the moon and the horizon.

Bats were visible and audible (and smellable) in the cypress trees, even though they said it was too chilly to come out.

For humans the temperature was delightful.

All that and the return of Elizabeth Brunner, who had not joined us since I think January!

Thanks to Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.

Thanks to Kimberly Godden Tanner for hosting, including getting the key from Banks Lake Outdoors, distributing the boats, and getting people signed in.

Thanks to Elizabeth Brunner for leading, including the safety lecture and showing people around on the lake.

Thanks to Lisa Adkins Montisano for some additional pictures.

There are more pictures below.

See also facebook photosets by: Continue reading →

Pictures: Halloween Full Moon Costume Contest, Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 2023-10-28

Update 2023-11-07: Pictures: Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28 2023-10-28.

All the Ghouls & Gals won prizes, at the WWALS family friendly 1st Annual Full Moon Halloween Float costume contest fundraiser at Banks Lake in Lakeland, Ga., just before the Full Hunters Moon Paddle.

[Participants, winners, and organizers, WWALS Halloween costume contest at Banks Lake 2023-10-28]
Participants, winners, and organizers, WWALS Halloween costume contest at Banks Lake 2023-10-28

Thanks, Rindy Kennedy, for organizing!

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

Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28

Update 2023-11-07: Pictures: Banks Lake Full Hunters Moon Paddle 2023-10-28 2023-10-28.

Leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle, right after the Halloween full moon costume contest.

When: Gather 5:40 PM, launch 5:45 PM, moonrise 6:45 PM, sunset 6:48 PM, end 7:45 PM, Saturday, October 28, 2023

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

[Banners, Boating witch, Lights 2020-10-31]
Banners, Boating witch, Lights 2020-10-31

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Halloween Full Moon Costume Contest, Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 2023-10-28

Update 2023-11-03: Pictures: Halloween full moon costume contest, Banks Lake Boat Ramp 2023-10-28.

Hey, Ghouls & Gals! Looking for a spooky one of a kind Halloween experience? Conjure up your best costume and come join the WWALS family friendly 1st Annual Full Moon Halloween Float costume contest fundraiser at Banks Lake in Lakeland, Ga.! (Extra points for light up and glow in the dark costumes IF you stay to paddle with us.)

When: Gather 4 PM, Costumes judged 4:30 PM, end 4:50 PM, Saturday, October 28, 2023

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

[Costumes at Banks Lake 2020-10-31]
Costumes at Banks Lake 2020-10-31

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Pictures: Banks Lake morning paddle 2023-09-04

Update 2025-08-24: Pictures: Black Moon morning paddle, Banks Lake 2025-08-23

A dozen people paddled four miles around Banks Lake on Labor Day morning. We saw three trees with bats, and the old one with no bats.

[Flyers, bat tree, etc. @ Banks Lake morning paddle 2023-09-04]
Flyers, bat tree, etc. @ Banks Lake morning paddle 2023-09-04

I forgot the banners, so people are holding up flyers for the WWALS River Revue. Continue reading →

Banks Lake Morning Paddle 2023-09-04

Update 2023-09-04: Pictures: Banks Lake morning paddle 2023-09-04.

Join us for a four-mile paddle around Banks Lake.

If you want to take a break from the hurricane cleanup, come enjoy this peaceful, morning paddle around the perimeter of a beautiful cypress pond. There are no places to get out of your boat for a break once we launch. We’ll paddle at a leisurely pace, on flat water with no current, so it should take two hours.

[Morning Paddle around Banks Lake 8:30 AM 2023-09-04]
Morning Paddle around Banks Lake 8:30 AM 2023-09-04

This is different from the traditional WWALS Banks Lake paddles: it’s in the morning (not in the evening), it’s not on a full moon, and it’s a different route.

When: Gather 8:30 AM, launch 9 AM, end 11 AM, Monday, September 4, 2023

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 Continue reading →

Cancelled: Banks Lake Full Blue Moon Paddle 2023-08-30

Due to Hurricane Idalia heading straight for the Suwannee River Basin, Shirley Kokidko has cancelled tomorrow’s evening paddle on Banks Lake.

She wrote, “Even if the rain stops Wed. evening, gusty winds at the lake could be unsafe for paddlers, especially after dark. The full moon will not be visible with the cloud cover, bats aren’t active during rainy weather either.”

[Cancelled: Banks Lake Full Blue Moon Paddle 2023-08-30]
Cancelled: Banks Lake Full Blue Moon Paddle 2023-08-30

Join us next month for the Banks Lake Full Harvest Moon Paddle 2023-09-29.

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

Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle in Lanier County Advocate 2023-08-01

Thanks to “friendly, bubbly” Meredith Crosby for leading this outing, to Rebecca Galardo for reporting on it, to Tony Galardo for taking her out in the Lanier EMA boat to do that, thanks to James Barnes, Lanier County Code Enforcement, for unlocking the boats, and thanks to Lanier County for letting WWALS rent the boats to paddlers for free.

[WWALS Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle in Lanier County Advocate]
WWALS Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle in Lanier County Advocate

Plus of course thanks to everyone who paddled on the Banks Lake Full Sturgeon Moon Paddle, 2023-08-01. The next full moon paddle is at the end of August: Banks Lake Full Blue Supermoon Paddle 2023-08-30.

For more WWALS outings, see:
https://wwals.net/outings

Rebecca Galardo, Lanier County Advocate, Banks Lake paddling event held August 1, Continue reading →

Banks Lake Full Blue Supermoon Paddle 2023-08-30

Update 2023-08-29: Cancelled: Banks Lake Full Blue Moon Paddle 2023-08-30.

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle.

This will be the only blue moon of 2023 (second full moon of a month), and is expected to be the biggest and brightest supermoon this year. It will be the third supermoon of this year, “when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth at the same time the moon is full.”. According to NPR, this will be the only blue supermoon of 2023, and there won’t be another until 2032.

There may still be bats.

When: Gather 7 PM, launch 7:30 PM, moonrise 8:08 PM, sunset 7:58 PM, end 9 PM, Wednesday, August 30, 2023

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

[Sunset 2023-03-07, Moonrise 2018-12-22; Full Blue Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA 2023-08-30]
Sunset 2023-03-07, Moonrise 2018-12-22;
Full Blue Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA 2023-08-30

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