Coosa River Kayak Trip in July, 2014.....

We went with friends down the Coosa on Saturday.  I was surprised at how crowded it was.  Every hour brought a new school bus full of young/old river adventurers.  I had always wondered if the rental places did any business during the summer and boy do they!  We weren't necessarily crowded to the point of not having a good time but we weren't alone either.  Most of the easy rocks and normal stopping points had people already milling around.  The locals take river boats up to Moccasin Gap to watch all the kayaks and drink beer.  We went with the 9:30am trip but they also had a 11:00am and 1:00pm trip too.  At least one more outfit uses this particular launch spot and stretch of river.  Lots of young people drinking beer, hanging out on the rocks, and doing the typical summer river thing.  We went with Coosa River Adventures which is located just outside of Wetumpka.  The website is:

Coosa River Adventures LINK......

It's $29 for a single kayak, 49$ for a double kayak, and if you want a canoe its $59.  I strongly urge you NOT to use a canoe.  It's bulky and if you turn over......a major pain to get flipped.  They ask you to be there at 8:30am but nobody leaves till almost 10:00 for the 9:30am trip.  You will get on a school bus which takes you to a dirt boat ramp right below Lake Jordan dam.  It's got some deep, slack water you can get used to paddling in.  Past there it's one little shoal after another till you get to Moccasin Gap.  Depending on how much water they are pushing, it can seem challenging but it's really not bad.  They were only pushing 2000cf when we went down it and while it's as low as it ever gets, sometimes avoiding the rocks can be the hardest thing about going down the river.  The trip was roughly 7-8 miles I think and we lollygagged the whole time around the shoals.  We started at 10am and finished at 1:00pm.  That is WITH goofing around.  It's a short trip if you don't waste some time looking around.

We had fun however and so did the other couple we went with.  Its a great way to beat the heat of summer and get out of the house for something a little "different."  I will most likely do this again next year.  The one negative I have is the water is nasty.  I am used to the Tallapoosa River with no smell and clear water.  The whole of the Coosa River chain, including the lakes, are all muddy water.  That is not a complaint however and something I was more then happy to overlook on a hot 95 degree summer day.

Below is a link to me and the wife tackling Moccasin Gap:

Moccasin Gap