Upcoming tours
Riverbend Kayak ToursDates: May 29, 30 and 31; June 1Cost: $99 for members and $109 for nonmembersBat Cave Sunset Kayak Tour at Nickajack Wildlife RefugeDates: June 1, 2, 7, 15 and 21; July 6 and 28; Aug. 9, 10 and 24; Sept. 7, 13, 21Cost: $65 for members, $75 for nonmembersIslands and Wine Kayak TourDates: June 1 and 15; July 6; Aug. 10 and 24; Sept. 7 and 21Cost: $85 for members, $95 for nonmembersChickamauga Dam Lock Through and Brews>Dates: Aug. 4, 17 and 31; Sept. 22Cost: $99 for members, $109 for nonmembersSunken City and SpiritsDate: June 23Cost: $85 for members, $95 for nonmembersTennessee River Gorge Overnight Kayak CampingDates: June 29-30; Aug. 3-4; Sept. 1-2; Oct. 5-6; Nov. 2-3Cost: $250 for members, $270 for nonmembers
It's no secret that Chattanooga has an abundance of natural assets, particularly the Tennessee River, but not everyone has the equipment to enjoy a day paddling on the water.
With its variety of new kayak tours, REI Co-Op will provide everything you need, guide and gear included, to get out on the river.
The first tour REI introduced after opening in Chattanooga last year was its Bat Cave Sunset Kayak Tour at Nickajack Wildlife Refuge, in which participants paddle to the refuge to watch 100,000 endangered gray bats exit a 140-foot-wide cave at dusk.
"You can't get it anywhere else," Zach Bopp, outdoor programs coordinator for the REI Co-Op in Chattanooga, said of the experience. "It's truly a unique wonder."
The bat cave tour is REI's most popular and is offered every weekend throughout the summer. It's also Bopp's favorite tour, but the Tennessee River Gorge Overnight Kayak Camping trip comes in a close second place.
"There's nothing like an overnight paddle," he said of the trip, which begins on downtown Chattanooga's waterfront with a 6-mile paddle to Williams Island. After spending the night on the island, participants paddle another 11 miles to Raccoon Mountain before being transported back downtown.
Paddling gear is displayed at the REI store in the Waterside shopping center on Friday, May 11, 2018, in Chattanooga, Tenn.With REI's upcoming Riverbend Kayak Tours, locals can view the festival's headlining acts from the water, starting with a paddle to Ross's Landing and ending with a short night paddle back to the launch in Coolidge Park.
For those who like to blend outdoor adventure with a bit of socializing over drinks, REI has several new kayaking tours that fit the bill.
The Islands and Wine Kayak Tour begins with a 4-mile paddle on Nickajack Lake and ends with a glass of wine at Lookout Winery. Or you can explore the remnants of the town of Old Harrison - which was flooded when the Chickamauga Dam was built in 1940 - with the Sunken City and Spirits Kayak Tour which ends with a margarita at Amigos Island Cove. The Chickamauga Dam Through and Brews is a 4-mile trip that takes participants through the lock toward downtown Chattanooga and ends at Heaven and Ale, where participants can enjoy a round of beers on REI.
Most trips are limited to 12 people, and registration is available online. Private trips can also be arranged for groups of six or more.
For more information or to register, visit rei.com/learn and search for Chattanooga paddling events.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.