First Saturday Paddle - December
First Saturday Wolf River Paddle
The “Lost Swamp Section” of the Wolf River
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Launch Time: 09:00 End Time: 15:00 (approx.)
This program is free to Conservancy members. Non-members will be charged a paddle fee of $25.00, which may be paid upon registering. To assist with planning, please register early. Online registration closes at Noon on Thursday, November 30, 2023.
Come along and join our River Guides as we paddle one of the most inspirational sections of the Wolf River, "The Lost Swamp." This section of the river is approximately 6 miles in length and a beautiful, Class 1 meandering water trail. It is still very wild and natural. Your boat handling skills will be challenged as we paddle through a pair of swamps filled with mature bald cypress trees and their associated cypress knees.
High points of the trip include quietly paddling beside the Gnome tree, the Wolf River black sands spa, and a cypress-filled swamp locally known as the cathedral. Often as you pass through this majestic area, you are serenaded by the church bells of the Moscow Methodist Church heralding your arrival into town.
The put-in at Bateman Road bridge consists of a graveled access ramp and parking area. The take-out at Moscow, Tennessee, was improved slightly in 2015 but is still primitive and requires a short paddle in a narrow slough from the river channel to the take-out and a short hike through a grassy field to the parking lot. Special note: Parking at the shopping center is a $5.00 charge. If you wish to avoid this charge, you can park at the river access point on Bateman Road. We will conduct both pre- and post-trip shuttles.
If you have any doubts about whether you are experienced enough to paddle this section, please check with Jim Gafford, the Conservancy's Director of Outreach, before registering. Jim may be reached via email (jim.gafford@wolfriver.org) or (901) 573-2353 (call/text), and he will be glad to discuss the trip with you.
Our River Guides will share the trip leader's responsibilities on this paddle. They are a great bunch of volunteers and will ensure you have both a safe and enjoyable adventure. If you have questions about the trip, please don't hesitate to contact Jim Gafford (info above) or Jeff Sojourner at rjsojourner@gmail.com or call/text at (901) 573-6307. Both will be happy to discuss the particulars of the trip with you.
To assist with planning, please register early for the event. If this is your first trip or if you want to learn more about the Wolf River, please read the following documents under the paddling section of our website (www.wolfriver.org/paddling): "River Descriptions," "Wolf River Access Map," and "Safety Information."
For Those Renting Boats: Our recommended outfitter for this trip is Ghost River Rentals (www.ghostriverrentals.com), who will shuttle you and your personal items. Contact the outfitter at (901) 485-1220 early to discuss options and arrangements for your participation. They will also provide detailed instructions on where to meet Saturday morning.
For Those Bringing Boats: You will meet our River Guides at the Bateman Road ramp. To reach the ramp, drive east on Hwy. 57 out of Moscow, TN, about two miles. Turn right onto Bateman Road and continue south about one and a half miles down to the parking lot on the northeast side of the bridge. If you cross the bridge, you probably saw us waving to you from the parking lot. Please arrive around 8:00 am to unload your gear and participate in the frontend vehicle shuttles. The last shuttle will leave at 8:30. We will also run a shuttle at the end of the trip as needed.
Parking Disclaimer: You should be able to leave your vehicle in the relatively safe put-in and take-out parking areas; however, Wolf River Conservancy cannot guarantee conditions at the time of launch. The Conservancy is not responsible for loss or damage to private property.
Safety and PFD Requirement: Participants in Wolf River Conservancy on-river programs will be required to wear a US Coast Guard-approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) while on the river. Children must wear child-size-approved PFDs. If you are renting a craft, the outfitter will provide you with an approved PFD as part of the rental package. Those using boats provided by the Conservancy will also be supplied PFDs and paddles. There are no exceptions to the PFD requirements. Please note that they must also be securely fastened at all times. Please do not use the "belt-type" units popular with the SUP community. These are single-discharge units and cannot easily be reloaded once deployed.
Google Maps Keyword (Input) Ghost River Canoe Run (Outlet)
Google Maps Keyword (Take-out) 13770 TN-57 Moscow, TN
