By Wil Rainer, Cahaba River Society’s Field Programs Director. Wil plans and leads recreation trips and river restoration projects to inspire love for, protect, and restore the Cahaba River.

Recreation on the Cahaba River is essential in fulfilling our mission to protect and restore the Cahaba River and its rich diversity of life. People who encounter the river, love the river, and our recreation program provides an influx of Cahaba River advocates and Cahaba River Society supporters. 

In 2024, 329 people registered for recreational outings. We added four new boats to the fleet this year thanks to your generous donations, but we still had a waitlist during peak season when education trips are happening almost daily and the Cahaba lilies are blooming. We plan to expand the fleet again in 2025 to increase capacity for CLEAN Education trips, volunteer projects, and recreation. Please contact me if you are interested in seeing your name on a boat!  

Keep an eye on our events calendar for 2025 recreation opportunities. 

2024 Recreation Trips

We paddled hundreds of miles in 2024. Our public trips guided participants on Cahaba lily tours, educational day tours, moonlight tours, and an overnight camping trip. We explored natural wonders throughout the Cahaba River’s 194-mile length, from Grants Mill in Irondale to Old Cahawba on the Alabama River near Selma. We also worked with organizations to plan recreation trips for their groups in 2024, including The National Park Service, The Forest Stewards Guild from The University of Alabama, and Friends of Shades Creek. Contact me to inquire about planning a recreation trip for your group. 

We introduced the Cahaba to many new faces. We had guests from Texas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, New York, Connecticut, California, Maine, and London. 

Check out some of our amazing trips and notable guests from 2024!

• March 20th Moonlight Paddle
• March 23rd Oxbow Lakes Trip to Perry County– Laurie Chandler is an adventure writer from Maine who was the first woman to solo thru-paddle the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail in New England. She heard about the Cahaba River and joined our recreation trip to the oxbow lakes of Perry Lakes Park during a spring 2024 trip through the southeast. 
• March 30th- The Forest Stewards Guild from The University of Alabama joined Cahaba River Society on a trip through the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge where we discussed the effects of the logging industry on the Cahaba River. 
• May 8th National Park Service Canoeing Trip- A group from National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (NPS-RTCA) explored the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge, finding the perfect group activity for their regional conference. 
• May 20th Moonlight Paddle
• May 25th, May 26th, May 30th, June 1st, and June 2nd–We led 5 public trips with nearly 100 people over the shoals of the fall line to see the Cahaba lilies (Hymenocalis coronaria). 
• June 8th Friends of Shades Creek Cahaba Lily Trip 
• June 18th Moonlight Paddle
• October 17th Moonlight Paddle
• October 19th and 20th Overnight Trip in Perry Co–We paddled under the full moon and camped under the Milky Way and the Tsuchishan-ATLAS comet. 
• November 9th Suttle to US 80 Trip