River Reflections: The Wolf River from a first time paddlers perspective

On April 6th, Jani Rad, a local adventure enthusiast and nature lover, embarked on her first journey down the Wolf River. The early spring expedition took her and 30 other paddlers through the enchanting Ghost River section of the Wolf on one of the Conservancy’s First Saturday Paddle Trips, held monthly.  The journey was, in Jani's words, nothing short of awesome.

"I've kayaked a lot in my life, but this place was really something else. You had an incredible mix of calm stretches and narrow passages. It was so cool learning about and seeing the different ecosystems. It was an awesome experience."

The Ghost River boasts five different plant communities, starting with bottomland hardwood forest, then wetland forests, a cypress-tupelo swamp, an open water cypress-tupelo swamp, and grassy wetlands.  

“I really enjoyed learning about the river's history from the river guides and the importance of keeping it clean! The river is essential to our public water supply in Memphis. It was fascinating to see it up close and in person.”

The saving of the Ghost River section of the Wolf River in 1995 is probably the Wolf River Conservancy's most well-known achievement. Motivated by the imminent threat to the area, paddlers, conservationists, and state agencies, successfully protected the Ghost River section of the Wolf River, a 4,000-acre area, in 1995, safeguarding it for future visitors like Jani nearly 30 years later.  

"I'm definitely coming back to explore more," Jani says. "I've heard that all the sections of the Wolf River are totally different, so I'm signing up for the next one!"

The next First Saturday Paddle will be on May 4th, exploring the Lost Swamp section which begins where the Ghost River section ends.  It is a beautiful, Class 1, meandering water trail, about 5 miles in length. It’s sure to be a great trip!

In the words of Director of Outreach and River Guide Jim Gafford: "Y’all come out and paddle with us!"

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