13 places to paddle in Georgia, with permit, season and rental facts exactly as the agency or park posts them. Okefenokee refuge paddling is allowed year-round on designated areas; boats must be off the water by 6:00 pm (Mar 1-Oct 31) or 4:00 pm (Nov 1-Feb).
Water levels, closures and permits change; confirm on the linked page the day you go. Every fact below was read on the cited official page and checked ; anything we could not read is listed under What We Could Not Confirm instead of guessed.
| What to know | Source |
|---|---|
| Okefenokee refuge paddling is allowed year-round on designated areas; boats must be off the water by 6:00 pm (Mar 1-Oct 31) or 4:00 pm (Nov 1-Feb). | fws.gov |
| Okefenokee overnight camping trips need a permit and must use only a canoe or kayak, no motors. | fws.gov |
| Okefenokee State Park canoe and kayak rentals: 2 hours $20.00, 4 hours $26.50, 8 hours $40.00. | gastateparks.org |
| Chattahoochee River NRA allows raft, canoe, kayak year round on the 48-mile river; the park does not rent boats. | nps.gov |
Where to Paddle in Georgia
| Name | Town | What it is | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (Kingfisher Landing, Suwannee Canal, Suwannee River Sill) | Folkston / Fargo | Day-use paddling trails and canoe/kayak-only overnight camping trips by permit. | Cost: Daily pass $5.00 per vehicle (7 days); annual $15.00; no entrance fee at Cowhouse Island or Kingfisher Landing. Overnight permit fee not listed. Hours: Mar 1-Oct 31: opens 30 min before sunrise, closes 7:30 pm, boats off water by 6:00 pm. Nov 1-Feb: closes 5:30 pm, boats off water by 4:00 pm. Season: Boating allowed year-round on designated areas; no seasonal paddling closures listed. Access: Motors 10 hp or less on designated trails; no airboats, jet skis or paddleboards. Children under 13 must wear a PFD. Sign in and out at every launch except Suwannee River Sill. Overnight: permit required, canoe or kayak only. |
| Okefenokee State Park | Fargo | Canoe and kayak rentals from the boat basin; day-use trails and Billy’s Island, reachable only by water. | Cost: Rentals: 2 hours $20.00, 4 hours $26.50, 8 hours $40.00, overnight (USFWS permit required) $50.00. $5 refuge fee. Hours: Park 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Season: Boating depends on water levels. Park renamed from Stephen C. Foster State Park (per gastateparks.org search results). Access: Over 15 miles of day-use trails from Jones Island dock and ramp; Billy’s Island about 2 miles from the ramp. Rentals first come, first served. Dogs: Pets are not allowed in boats, even privately owned vessels. |
| Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area | Atlanta metro | Raft, canoe or kayak the 48-mile river from Buford Dam to Paces Mill. | Cost: Standard pass $5.00 per day; annual $40.00 (fees page). Hours: Boating from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset; no night boating. Season: Year round Access: Allowed year round. Jet skis not permitted. Park does not rent boats; authorized outfitters do and must provide paddles and PFDs. Currents can be strong around submerged rocks. |
| Tallulah Gorge State Park (whitewater) (Official site) | Tallulah Falls | Whitewater kayaking, only during high dam releases, skill required. | Season: Paddling page: first two weekends of April and first three weekends of November. Park page 2026 whitewater weekends (10 a.m.-4 p.m.): Nov. 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22. Access: Boaters must be quite skilled. Terrora Day Use Area beach closed for construction; kayaking unavailable until the project is complete. |
| Crooked River State Park | St. Marys | Saltwater paddling; boat ramp and dock; the Paddling page calls it the shortest route to Cumberland Island National Seashore. | Hours: Park 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Access: No rentals; bring your own. Southeast Coast Saltwater Paddling Trail logo on page. |
| Fort McAllister State Park | Richmond Hill | Campground bordered by tidal Redbird Creek; links to the Southeast Coast Saltwater Paddling Trail. | Hours: Park 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; office and Historic Site 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Access: Bring your own boat (Paddling page). |
| Reed Bingham State Park (Official site) | Adel | Canoe and kayak rentals on a 375-acre lake; primitive paddle-in island campsite. | Cost: Parking fee required; rental prices not on page. Hours: Park 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Access: 3 boat ramps, 2 docks. Birdwalk and Yearling trails closed (alert). |
| George L. Smith State Park | Twin City | Kayak and canoe rentals; Explore Georgia says boats tour cypress and tupelo near Parrish Mill. | Hours: Park 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; office 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Access: Boating limited to 10 HP. Day Use Area under construction (call the park). |
| Sweetwater Creek State Park (Official site) | Lithia Springs | Seasonal rentals of jon boats, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and aquacycles on a 215-acre reservoir. | Hours: Park 7 a.m. to dark; office 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Access: Private boats allowed with electric motors only; swimming in the reservoir not allowed. |
| Altamaha Park of Glynn County | Brunswick | Park on the Altamaha River with boat ramps, camping and cabins. | Cost: Tents $16/night; full hookup $22; riverfront $24; 2-bedroom cabin $85 summer/$75 winter (plus tax) Hours: Listed 12:00am-12:00am daily Access: Boat launch, 56 campsites, fishing pier. |
| Savannah Rapids / Augusta Canal | Augusta area | Savannah Rapids Kayak Rental offers launch and shuttle and a paddle to Olmstead Lake. | Not published on the cited page |
| Flint River (Albany / Radium Springs) | Albany | Explore Georgia names Kayak Attack Adventures (2- or 5-hour trips) and Flint River Outpost in Camilla. | Not published on the cited page |
| Altamaha River (Three Rivers Outdoors) | south Georgia | Explore Georgia names Three Rivers Outdoors; trips from two hours to two weeks. | Not published on the cited page |
Rules From The Agencies
- Okefenokee: children under 13 must wear a PFD; paddleboards, swimming and wading are prohibited; Okefenokee Adventures is the official concessionaire at Suwannee Canal Recreation Area. (fws.gov)
- Chattahoochee NRA: jet skis not permitted; no boating at night. (nps.gov)
- More than 20 state parks rent canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and aquacycles seasonally. (gastateparks.org)
Map of Georgia Paddling Spots
Not pinned (no confirmed location yet): Okefenokee State Park, Altamaha Park of Glynn County.
Keep Planning
FAQ
Do I need a permit to camp overnight in the Okefenokee?
Yes, an overnight camping permit is required and trips must use only a canoe or kayak. (fws.gov)
What We Could Not Confirm
- Cumberland Island NPS kayaking page did not give usable detail; not included.
- Stephen C. Foster slug: gastateparks.org/StephenCFoster fetched as Okefenokee State Park (renamed per search result, not confirmed on a fetched page).
- Okefenokee overnight permit fee and concessionaire prices not on refuge page.
- Suwannee and Altamaha agency pages with river-level rules not found; Altamaha items come from Explore Georgia and Glynn County listing only.
- Outfitters named by Explore Georgia article, not park pages; prices not published there.
- Town and region for state-park items come from general geography, not from the fetched page; county left blank unless the page named it.
- Towns shown for state park entries are the nearest town and were not all read from the cited page.
How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on . Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.
Sources
- Okefenokee NWR visit
- Okefenokee State Park paddling
- Paddling in Georgia State Parks
- NPS Chattahoochee boating
- Explore Georgia kayak article
Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.
More from Things to Do
Cite this page: It's Georgia, “Paddling and Kayaking in Georgia”, itsgeorgia.com/things-to-do/outdoors-hiking/paddling-and-kayaking-in-georgia/ (updated ). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.