To celebrate the Georgia River Network Annual Conference in Rome Feb. 22-23, the Coosa River Basin Initiative will host a 6-mile, moonlight paddle on the Coosa River Thursday evening, Feb. 21.

The three-hour paddle will leave from Heritage Park in downtown Rome at about 7 p.m. and end at Lock and Dam Park by 10 p.m.. Given uncloudy skies, paddlers will experience the full moon as it shimmers across the Coosa.

The trip is free to CRBI members and Georgia River Network conference attendees. Non members are charged $35 (per family) and receive a year’s membership in CRBI. Canoe and kayak rentals are available for $35 through Adventure Rome ‘N Around.

“We’re excited about the conference coming to Rome, and when we discovered we’d have a full moon on the night prior to the conference, we immediately scheduled the trip. Since there are no obstacles in this stretch of river, it should be a very peaceful and beautiful winter paddle.” said Joe Cook, CRBI Executive Director & Riverkeeper. 

Along the way, paddlers will drift through downtown Rome, pass beneath Blacks Bluff and pull up to the historic Lock and Dam, following a course that was well known by the area’s riverboat captains of the late 1800s and early 1900s. 

To register to participate, call 706-232-2724 or e-mail Joe Cook at jcook@coosa.org.