Welcome to the June 1st, 2024 Tallapoosa River Fest Paddle!
Trip registration fee includes equipment shuttle to put in and take out locations, paddler shuttle to put in and take out locations, a cookout, and a participant T-shirt along with other swag.
Registration Opens March 14th
Registration Fee – $50 (non-refundable)
Registration Tab Below
To learn details of the paddle, click on tabs below to expand tab and read.
NOTE: At this time, we do not have an outfitter to rent kayaks/canoes from so if you do not have your own kayak/canoe,
please email me before you register at sfuller@tallaco.com
The float will begin at Horseshoe Bend ramp and end at Jay Bird ramp. A description of the float is below in the “Harold Banks Canoe Trail” section.
REGISTRATION
- To secure your spot at the River Fest, please complete the registration by clicking the “registration” tab below (blue tab).
- Once you complete your information and click submit, it will take you to the payment processing page. This page will be PayPal but you can pay as a guest without signing into PayPal.
- Your receipt will come from Lake Martin Tallapoosa County Tourism who is one of our partners with the River Fest.
WAIVER
- You will need to complete the River Fest waiver form.
- The waiver on the blue tab below is not electronic but you can use this method to complete and email back to us. However, we will be sending you an electronic version to complete via email once you have registered for your convenience. The waiver tab below allows you to review the waiver at your convenience and refer back to.
- You can arrive at New Site Town Hall as early as 7:30am on June 1st.
- You will need to check in at the registration table when you arrive.
- Canoes/Kayaks will be loaded onto transportation trailers.
- Paddlers will be loaded onto shuttles and shuttled along with their boat to launch location.
- Shuttles will be provided to and from put-in and take-out locations.
- Once your paddle is complete and you arrive back at the venue, you are welcome to begin eating and enjoying activities.
- Everyone will have a scheduled time for loading and launching.
- Launch times begin at 8:00am and are scheduled every 15 minutes (with 15/20 people). Last launch is at 11:30am. We will notify you of your launch time once everyone has registered for the River Fest. Should be no later than the first part of April.
- Canoe or kayak (no flat bottom boats, innertubes, etc.).
- Snacks/Water
- Dry Change of Clothes & Towel
- Camera with Waterproof Box or Dry Bag
- Hat, Long Sleeve Shirt, and Sunglasses for Sun Protection
- Sunscreen
- Bug Repellant
- Dry Bag, Zip Lock Bags, Trash Bag
At this time we do not have a kayak/canoe rental outfitter for those who do not want to bring their kayak/canoe. We are seeking out one so if you do not have your own kayak/canoe, please check with us before registering. sfuller@tallaco.com
- Participants assume personal liability and must sign a liability waiver statement
- No alcohol, firearms or pets
- Coast Guard regulations require an approved personal flotation device
- Closed toe shoes required – no flip flops or bare feet
- All trash must be packed out (trash cans available at venue)
- The event will proceed rain or shine with no registration refunds
- Dinner will be provided – participants must provide their own snacks and drinks during the float. No special dietary meals provided.
- Experienced paddlers will be available to provide assistance along the float, but they are not responsible for your safety.
- Emergency Management & Rescue Squads will have an emergency station set up on site as they do at all events.
- Risks and Hazards (included but not limited to the following) sunburn, dehydration, slippery rocks, snakes, stinging insects, poisonous plants, overhanging limbs, cuts, abrasions, bumps, head injuries, drowning, difficult access for rescue vehicles, and other risks associated with outdoor activities in remote areas.
Please plan to meet at New Site Town Hall to check in. We will shuttle your canoe/kayak and you to the put in location. Note – there will also be a river festival in conjunction with the paddle that will be located across the street from shuttle location.
New Site Town Hall
12791 Highway 22 East,
New Site, Alabama
- Restrooms and changing rooms are available at venue you will meet at and return to.
- Other activities will be at the venue – Cookout, Music, Horseshoes, Corn Hole, & Vendors
A printable PDF version of the above information is in the “Details” tab below.
Thank You To Our Partners!
Welcome to the Harold Banks Canoe Trail!
A peaceful, family friendly adventure, the trail is a combination of flat water and shoals. The Tallapoosa flows through stretches of lush countryside that help preserve its natural beauty and solitude.
This 6 mile journey is the most popular and considered by many to be the most scenic of the 3 trails on the Tallapoosa. It begins at Horseshoe Bend Bridge and ends at Jay Bird Creek. This section has several patches of Shoal or Cahaba lilies, is known to have bald eagles in the area, and features Peters Island, Laura’s Leap, side chutes, Irwin Shoals, and a campsite at jay Bird Creek. Bear left or right to take the swift side chutes for more excitement!
The Tallapoosa is so unique that the Alabama section has been designated a part of the Alabama Scenic River Trail.
Harold Banks is a man of many talents – historian, forester, storyteller, explorer, and outdoorsman. But in Tallapoosa County, he is best known for his red canoe and his expertise on the river. In 2009, he became the first person to solo paddle the entire 258 miles of the Tallapoosa River from its origins in Paulding County, Georgia, to its end at Fort Toulouse near Wetumpka, Alabama. In 2015, the 25-mile stretch of the river located in Tallapoosa and Chambers Counties and cherished by Harold was named in his honor. He resides in Dadeville, Alabama.
