CANCELED: First Saturday Paddle - March

* This paddle has been canceled due to unsafe water levels caused by recent rain. *

This is a 6.4-mile section of the Wolf River between the Fayette County cities of Rossville and Piperton, Tennessee. Participants on this trip will be paddling a wide, unchannelized portion of the river. Individuals will experience a natural un-cluttered class one river with meandering curves and bends. The channel is clearly visible through the entire section and participants rarely become disoriented or venture off course. WRC has intentionally not placed any of the familiar blue and white canoe trail signs, thereby helping to keep this section as natural as possible. Downed trees and strainers are present and can be easily avoided by individuals with minimum paddling skills.

THIS IS A COLD WEATHER PADDLE

The water temperature is very cool, and the outside air temperature will most likely be even cooler. We ask that a beginner paddler save their initial adventure with us until the coming Spring when the conditions would be more favorable. Paddlers on this event should be experienced and dress in layers of quick dry (no cotton) clothing and bring a full change of clothing in a dry bag. Head covering, gloves and wool socks are valuable assets. If you have any doubts about whether you are experienced enough to paddle this section, please check with Jim Gafford, WRC Director of Outreach, prior to registering. Jim can be reached via email (jim.gafford@wolfriver.org) or 901-573-2353 (cell/text) and will be glad to discuss the trip with you.

Our River Guides will share the trip leader 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 contact Jim Gafford (info above) or Jeff Sojourner at rjsojourner@gmail.com or cell/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 no later than Thursday, February 3 at noon. 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 Mike Dawkins. If you need to rent equipment, contact Mike at mikedawk@comcast.net (email) or cell/text at (901) 485-2531. Please contact Mike as soon as you complete your event registration to discuss equipment rental options and other trip arrangements.

For Those Bringing boats: You will meet our Guides at the river access ramp on the east side of Highway 194 and just north of the City of Rossville, TN. 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:  Both the access and takeout parking areas are relatively safe but are unmonitored. You should be able to leave your vehicle in either of these parking areas. Please note that the Wolf River Conservancy is not responsible for loss of 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 PFD’s. If you are renting a craft, the outfitter will provide you with an approved PFD as part of the rental package. There are no exceptions to the PFD requirements. Please note that they must also be properly worn and securely fastened at all times.  Please do not use the “belt type” units that are popular with the SUP community.  These are single discharge units and cannot easily be reloaded once deployed. 

Although the Wolf River is rated as a class one river (little whitewater), conditions can rapidly change. It is imperative that boaters realistically evaluate their experience and abilities related to the section being paddled before launching into the water. Any concerns can be addressed with our river guides. Any decisions and recommendations will always favor the most cautious and safest solution.

WRC highly recommends registered paddlers read the online “River Section Description”, “Wolf River Access Map” and “Safety Information” under the “Paddling the Wolf River” tab at www.wolfriver.org/