Monroe County has two breathtakingly beautiful rivers the Ocmulgee and the Towaliga and many lovely streams. They’re jewels in our growing jungle of asphalt and housing subdivisions.

The Ocmulgee and Towaliga are play grounds for canoeing, fishing, swimming, hiking and picnicking. They’re also the treasure-trove that supplies our homes with drinking water. Their beauty not only inspires artist and photographers but is food for the heart and soul.

The Ocmulgee River’s name rolls on our tongue like poetry. It’s translation, “Up from the bubbling waters” speaks of joy.

A favorite Ocmulgee nine-mile canoe paddle with rapids is from East Juliette to Popes Ferry just east of Hwy 23/87. The wide and inviting Ocmulgee winds through valleys flanked by wooded corridors of giant white and black oak, pine, sweet gum, hickory, willow, red maple, and beech. Lush ferns, vines and shrubs form a thick undergrowth. Large rock outcroppings and wide shoals dot the water and banks. This pristine clear blue water section runs along the western boundary of the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge. The small shoals at half-mile intervals add excitement and beauty.

Spectacular Falling Rock Creek and the 4-mile long Hitchiti loop trail are located about a quarter mile north of Hwy 18. Both are worth exploring.

There’s an exciting four-foot waterfall drop into a large pool below Hwy 18. Many kayakers, canoers and tubers use this rapid as a whitewater gymnasium as it’s an excellent place for beginners to play and train. It’s also relatively simple to carry the boat back up and over the rocks to try again. The 1.5 mile river trip from Hwy 18 to Popes Ferry also makes for a good afternoon tube float.

A shorter 4.5-mile flat water Ocmulgee River canoe trip starts at Hwy 83 and ends in Juliette. A paddle upstream on the scenic Towaliga River just two miles north of Juliette is a good side trip. There are also a number of islands and beaches to camp on.

It's magical viewing wild life while floating under cloud-swept skies. The wild life includes bald eagles, owls, white tailed deer, raccoons, Canada geese, wood ducks, muskrats, otter, beaver and osprey. You might also see brilliant blue damselflies, turtles, snakes, frogs or salamander if you’re lucky.

Another favorite trip is the narrow, intimate 8.5-mile Towaliga River on a whitewater section from High Falls to Highway 42. During the spring the cool weather is perfect for navigating through bouncy waterfalls interspersed with crystal clear rock pools. The shore is lined with pink and white mountain laurel blossoms, wild azaleas, golden rod and fragrant honeysuckle. There is also a magical explosion of new green leaves on the shrubs and trees.

A 17-mile Towaliga lazy flat water float starts at Highway 42 and ends in Juliette. The river bank’s tall overhanging oak, sweet gum, pine, maple, hickory, sycamore and beech trees form a series of shady tunnels. The pink sandy riverbed and beaches make this section and excellent two-day overnight canoe-camping trip. There’s nothing like being serenaded by cacophony of chirping, peeping, and bellowing frogs under star-studded skies. Or listening to cicadas or owls while sipping tea in the honey-dipped morning sun.

Slipping the canoe into the river current and surrendering to its pace brings peace. To go with the flow. Sometimes it takes awhile to adjust your internal clock to the river’s rhythm. But “river time” does come.

River hazards to consider include water temperature, current speed, flooding, low water levels, low hanging trees, deadfalls, skill level and river difficulty. Fortunately the rapids on the Towaliga and Monroe County’s section of the Ocmulgee are Class I and II. A Class I rapid has moving water with a few rapids and small waves. Class II rapids are easy wide clear channels with waves up to 3 feet. Although some maneuvering is required the rapids can be done without scouting.

The Ocmulgee River does have a Class III rapid about 8 miles north of Hwy 83 in Butts County. Class III rapids have high, irregular waves often capable of swamping an open canoe. The narrow passages require complex maneuvering and require scouting off shore.

All canoers should wear life jackets and carry extra paddles, a first aid kit, rain wear, food, clothes and personal items in a dry bag or two large garbage bags.

A car needs to be left at the river take out point to run the shuttle for the trip. You can also sign up as a guest with The Georgia Wilderness Society a non-profit recreational organization located in Macon. To learn more go to www.georgiawildernesssociety.org 

Monroe County’s rivers have everything, diversity, majesty, serenity, fishing and good paddling. Fisherman love casting their lines for Coosa and Shoal Bass in the river‘s rocky shoals.

There are life lessons to learn from the Ocmulgee and the Towaliga. Lessons to pass on to those who will follow in our footsteps. We don’t need to take our children to exotic destinations to instill a love of nature. Everyday places are unforgettable landmarks in a child’s mind. To develop a sense of place we need to look around, to notice, to walk and play in the natural world. To realize that nature is not just a backdrop but is the world that has made us what we are.

Monroe County has natural treasures belonging to all its citizens. It would be great if a group of visionary individuals could come together to safe-guard our precious, one-of-a-kind land for future generations. The opportunities to recreate, enjoy life and receive inspiration from the natural world are innumerable and unparalleled. Respecting the power of place is realizing that our economy, community and environment are interrelated and make Monroe County special. What harms one will affect the other two. For our long term health is woven together with our economy, community and environment.

To know the rivers and streams of Monroe County is to love them for their pristine beauty, exotic uniqueness, and tranquil remoteness. They are still cradled in a forested wilderness corridor only occasionally interrupted by the encroachment of civilization.

Monroe County residents are blessed to have these rivers. For many of us being on or near the rivers allow flashes of forgetfulness -- holy moments that seem to purify our souls.

There is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. Kenneth Bower

“Rivers have what man most respects and longs for in his life and thought -- a capacity for renewal and replenishment, continual energy, creativity, cleansing.” John M. Kauffman

“The river called. The call is the thundering rumble of distant rapids, the intimate roar of white water…a primeval summons.” John J. Craighead