There’s still plenty of time this summer for outdoor fun in the sun, and if a leisurely trip down the river is what floats your boat, take a little drive through the Tennessee hills to Wartrace and set up a trip on the water with the area’s premere river-floating company.
Float-A-Boat offers canoe, kayak, tube, stand-up paddle board and Jon boat rentals, and transportation from its downtown Wartrace-based headquarters to the Duck River and back, for those wanting a little summer water adventure . . . a leisurely adventure.
I’m gonna lay down my burdens, down by the riverside.
Upon arriving to Float-A-Boat (located approximately 10 miles down Highway 64 off of I-24 at exit 97), travelers grab a life vest, secure any valuables and choose the boat they’d like to ride.
Everyone loads into the pickup truck shuttles traveling to the appropriate part of the river; boats are unloaded, coolers and snacks are placed aboard, and you’re ready to float.
Waaaaaade in the water, children.
The Duck River is a fun, easy float for those of all ages, according to Float-A-Boat co-owner Kim Council, whose Normandy Kayak rental company merged with Gena Trice’s Float-A-Boat earlier this year to form the current incarnation of the business.
Can You Canoe?
“The Duck River is a class-one river,” said Council, referring to the 6-tiered International Scale of River Difficulty; it contains very few fast-moving rapids, though the water is constantly moving so it requires very little effort to paddle if one is not in a hurry, so it’s ideal for kids.
Bring your four-legged friends, even.
“We have life vests for dogs,” Trice said. “Dogs float free.”
Trice, admitting she might be a little biased, said, “This is the most beautiful part of the Duck River; it gets a little deeper in some parts farther down the river.”
The Duck flows northwest through the Middle Tennessee region, all the way to Kentucky Lake (where the water empties into the Ohio River, into the Mississippi, en route to the Gulf, in case you were curious).
Rollin’ . . . rollin’ . . . rollin’ on the river.
Nature lovers on the lookout for various plant and animals species will have plenty to look at during a float.
“The Duck River has over 55 species of mussels, and 150 species of freshwater fish,” Trice said.
The trees lining the banks of the Duck River provide some seclusion and shade for much of the river, but the occasional gap in the forestry reveals picturesque views of rolling hills and expansive valleys.
Tennessee, Tennessee, ain’t no place I’d rather be.
“There’s a bald eagle family out there!” Council continued.
Some floaters mentioned that they spotted numerous snakes during their excursion.
“Oh, they won’t bother you,” Council affirmed.
But watch out for the cows; one group encountered a few bovine types who escaped from their pasture to take a summer dip in the Duck.
Laid up here in a country state of mind.
Overnight trips can be arranged, but even a couple of hours on the Duck can reset one’s mind and offer the peaceful sounds of trickling water and the energy of the sun.
Float-A-Boat is open seven days a week through the fall, and may even host some haunted floats on the Duck River in October. Reservations are encouraged but not required. The rental headquarters is located at 205 Blackman Blvd. W., Wartrace.
For more information, call 931-619-6959 or visit floattn.com.
