Tag Archives: Outing

Rescheduled: Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-19

Rescheduled again due to high water, this time to April 19, 2025.

Join us for a leisurely paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter on the Withlacoochee River. You can choose 3 miles or 11 miles.

Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Little River, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-19

Thanks to a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
Thanks to Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) for shuttle vans.
Thanks to Valdosta Boys & Girls Club for bringing youth and boats to paddle.
Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this expedition and Phil Royce for being sweep.

When: Gather 8 AM, shuttle by 9 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, April 19, 2025

Put In: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602. I-75 exit 18, west on GA 133 (St. Augustine Road) away from the Valdosta Mall, at the traffic light for Val Tech Road, turn left down to the boat ramp, in Lowndes County.
By the boat ramp, see the WWALS water trail signs about the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536

The 3-mile trip starts along the Little River frontage recently purchased by Lowndes County for Troupville Nature Park and Nature Preserve. After the Little River Confluence, we’ll go a very short way up the Withlacoochee River to the future site of Troupville River Camp. Then down the Withlacoochee 1.3 miles past Valdosta’s cleaned up Outfall from its Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) on the left bank in Lowndes County. After another mile, the early takeout is at a private boat ramp on the right bank in Brooks County, thanks to Paul DeLoach.

Map: Troupville Boat Ramp to Paul DeLoach private boat ramp –WLRWT
The 11-mile journey continues another eight miles, past Spring Branch to a mid-point lunch stop, thanks to The Langdale Company. Then we pass Millrace Creek, the notorious Sabal Trail Methane Pipeline, the US 84 Bridge, and Spook Bridge, to take out on the left bank, also thanks to The Langdale Company. Thanks to Steve Miller for a four-wheeler to get paddlers and their boats back to the paved road.

Map: Troupville Boat Ramp to Spook Bridge in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

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Langdale Park and Troupville Boat Ramp 2025-03-14

Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22

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Update 2025-03-19: Rescheduled: Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle: Troupville to Spook Bridge, Withlacoochee River 2025-04-19.

Rescheduled to March 22 due to high water.

Join us for a leisurely paddle on the Withlacoochee River: three miles to an early takeout, or another eight miles to Spook Bridge, with a mid-point lunch stop.

The first stretch is along the Little River frontage recently purchased by Lowndes County for Troupville River Camp and Nature Park. The right bank the whole way is Brooks County.

The second stretch goes by Valdosta’s cleaned up Outfall from its Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) on the left bank in Lowndes County.

Paddle with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter.

Chairman and Mayor’s Paddle, Troupville to Spook Bridge, Little River, Withlacoochee River 2025-03-22

Shuttle vans provided by Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA).
Early takeout provided by Paul DeLoach.
Spook Bridge takeout and midpoint provided by The Langdale Company.
Thanks to a generous grant from Georgia Power, this outing is free for everyone.
Thanks to Phil Hubbard for leading this expedition and Phil Royce for being sweep.

When: Gather 8 AM, launch 10 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, March 22, 2025

GPS: 30.851842, -83.346536 Continue reading →

Big Shoals St Pk to Suwannee Wayside, Suwannee River 2025-05-31

Join us on this beautiful section of the Suwannee River.

This paddle is appropriate for anyone who is in reasonable physical condition, agile enough to launch from a rocky edge (see photo above), and can portage your kayak 400 feet. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the magnificent views and cool off in the river.

We will launch from Big Shoals State Park, paddle downstream 1 mile to the start of the portage trail around Big Shoals, the only Class III rapids in the state of Florida.

Pack light as you will need to portage everything on a dirt trail. Then we get back in our boats and paddle on through Little Shoals.

When: Gather 9:00 AM, launch 10:00 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, May 31, 2025
Come on time to drop your kayak at the launch site and be ready to help with the shuttle to the take out in White Springs.
**Shuttle begins promptly at 9:30 a.m.

Put In: Big Shoals Tract Launch, Right bank. From White Springs, travel north on CR 135 to SE 94 Street (Godwin Bridge Road); turn right and follow road to Big Shoals, in Hamilton County, Florida.

GPS: 30.3529705, -82.6879375

Big Shoals Tract Launch, Suwannee River Wayside Park, Suwannee River, Portage Big Shoals 2025-05-31

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On The Spotlight Show, Talk92.1 FM: Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, WWALS River Revue, and Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2025-03-06

Join us on The Spotlight Show on talk921.com at 6 PM, Thursday, March 6, 2025.
https://talk921.com

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and “Diamond” Jim Halter will talk about

the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle on the Withlacoochee River, March 15,
https://wwals.net/?p=66833
the WWALS River Revue with the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, September 6,
https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2025
plus chainsaw cleanups, the Okefenokee Swamp, Ichetucknee Springs and River, and water quality testing.

Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, WWALS River Revue, etc. on The Spotlight Show, Talk921.com, Thursday, March 6, 2025, 6-7 PM

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1164828191815898

-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/

Full Flower Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 2025-05-12

Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our watery living room, Banks Lake, just west of Lakeland, Georgia.

This Outing is honoring Teachers and Nurses, who get free entry.

When: Gather 7:30 PM, launch 8 PM, moonrise 8:40 PM, sunset 8:19 PM, end 9:30 PM, Monday, May 12, 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 Flower Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, Georgia, Monday, May 12, 2025

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Rescheduled: Ichetucknee to Santa Fe Rivers 2025-04-05

Rescheduled again to April 5, 2025, because of river closure: they were still cleaning Hurricane Helene debris out of the river through the previous date.

We apologize for the inconvenience. We are also disappointed. But neither we nor the park control hurricanes, and the park does not control the schedule of Tallahassee or the contractors for removing hurricane debris.

Join us on a leisurely paddle on the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers, starting at Ichetucknee Springs State Park North Entrance, past many springs, taking out at the US 129 Boat Ramp.

When: Gather 8:30 AM, launch 9:30 AM, end 4 PM, Saturday, April 5, 2024

Put In: Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North Entrance, 8294 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038.

GPS: 29.986107, -82.760109

Ichetucknee River to Santa Fe River 2025-04-05, Ichetucknee Springs S.P. North to US 129 Boat Ramp

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Pictures: Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2025-02-12

Warm and choppy was Banks Lake, until we found glassy smooth water beyond the cypress, where we watched the moon rise after sunset with Venus and Jupiter, on the Full Snow Moon Paddle, 2025-02-12.

Full Snow Moon, Banks Lake 2025-02-12, Thanks, Janet Martin, and all who paddled