help_outline Skip to main content
BCCCBannerSwamp
HomeEventsTN Buffalo Icicle Float -- CANCELLED

Events - Event View

This is the "Event Detail" view, showing all available information for this event. If the event has passed, click the "Event Report" button to read a report and view photos that were uploaded.

TN Buffalo Icicle Float -- CANCELLED

When:
Saturday, January 18, 2020, 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM
Where:
Metal Ford Access
Milepost: 382.8 Natchez Trace Parkway
GPS:35.46321,-87.47895
Metal Ford website
Natchez Trace Parkway at Metal Ford Road
Hohenwald, TN  
Additional Info:
Event Contact(s):
Alan Johnson
Category:
Trip
Registration is not Required
Payment In Full In Advance Only
Attendees pay for their own charges
You must Logon in order to Register

Paddle Description
 
We will meet at the Metal Ford access at 9:00 am. The shuttle will start at 9:30 am and the float at 10:00 am.

The put in is at the Metal Ford access. 
We'll take out at either Grinders Creek (4 Miles) or Texas Bottoms (7 Miles) depending on the weather how we feel.

For this section watch the gauge near Flat Woods.  The club paddled this section at 3.8 feet.  A couple of inches lower and things may drag. 

This is a Class I-II winter float. If you don't have the necessary skill and gear, your participation with be Limited to Shuttle Services!
 See the skill gear requirements below. Contact us if you have questions

Directions
Metal Ford is about a 3 hour drive east of Memphis.

From Memphis, you can take I-40 east to Tennessee highway 13, then south to Hohenwald, TN.
Then take Hwy 412 to Natchez Trace Parkway and turn south, look for the exit to Metal Ford, mile marker 382.

OR

Take US Hwy. 64 east to the Parkway and then north to the Metal Ford exit.
Metal Ford Map

Camping and Lodging

Make this a one day trip or a two day trip by including an overnight stay.

Camping is available at the Meriwether Lewis National Monument, 7 miles 
east of Hohenwald where Hwy 412 crosses the Natchez Trace Parkway at mile marker 385.9.  This is a nice campground with Heated Bathrooms!  The 32 sites are free on a first come first served basis. Drinkable water and flush toilets are available but electricity, showers  and dump stations are not.
  
Natchez frace RV Campground offers cabins and tent sites as well as RV sites.

Fall Hollow is both a campground and a Bed and Breakfast.
Come Prepared
Requirements and Tips

Experienced paddlers only: if you cannot maneuver you craft confidently on Class II-III drops, you shouldn't come on this float.

Helmets are NOT required.  The Class I-II rating is because of expected winter conditions.

Bring Extra Clothing in a Dry Bag - No Cotton! Getting wet in cold water is not only uncomfortable, it is DANGEROUS.

Bring a lunch. We will have a lunch stop on the river. Hot chocolate or soup in a thermos is a real treat for a cold nose, toes, and frosty fingers.

Bring a stick of firewood for our lunch warm-up fire. A self-starting Dura-Flame type log is ideal.  A chair or cushion to stay off the ground would be nice too.
Other Details

This trip is for Bluff City Canoe Club members and their guests.  If you are not a member, we would love to have you join.  Membership is just $30 for the year and includes your entire family.

You can join here --> Member Signup / Information

The Bluff City Canoe Club is a Paddle America Club affiliated with the American Canoe Association (ACA). The event is insured through the ACA.  If you do not have an annual ACA membership, you will need to bring $5 to purchase an ACA event membership. Correct change cash is easiest.

We comply with the safety guidelines of the ACA which can be found here. You will need to wear a PFD during the paddle.

Each participant must sign an ACA waiver.  Printed copies of the waiver will be available at the launch. However, it will save time at the launch if you fill out and sign the waiver in advance. Click on the links for to download of the ACA Waivers:     Adult       Minor (Under age 18 at the time of registration) Must be signed by parent or guardian.

A Couple of Points of Interest in the Area
A 1970's hippy commune called The Farm .  They have accommodations available and you can arrange a visit.

The Elephant Sanctuary


Upcoming Events
Meetups


Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events