Kayak Tour: Jacob Cummings and the Paddle to Freedom

Kayak Tour: Jacob Cummings and the Paddle to Freedom

The following press release was published by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service on July 11, 2019. It is reproduced in full below.

Fort Oglethorpe, GA: On Friday, July 26, at 8:30 am, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, in partnership with Outdoor Chattanooga, will conduct a FREE, 3- hour, historical kayak tour. In late July 1839, Jacob Cummings liberated himself from slavery on the banks of Moccasin Bend and paddled his way to freedom in a small canoe. National Park Partners will sponsor this special kayak tour marking the 180th anniversary of Cummings’ escape from slavery. Participants will paddle the route he followed and learn about his role as both passenger and agent on the Underground Railroad. The following reservation and paddler requirements must be met prior to tour participation.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:

Participants should meet Outdoor Chattanooga staff at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Suck Creek boat ramp to be shuttled to the launch site. To make a reservation, please visit Outdoor Chattanooga’s online catalog at http://bit.ly/outdoorchatt or call 423-643-6888.

PADDLER REQUIREMENTS

Participants must be 14 years of age or older

Participants must know how to swim.

Outdoor Chattanooga and the National Park Service reserve the right to cancel a trip at any time at their discretion, due to weather or water conditions. Participants will be notified as soon as possible if there is a cancellation. The rain date for this event is Friday, Aug. 2, at 8:30 am. If you must cancel your reservation for any reason, please try to do so with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. Please call between the hours of 8 am - 5 pm, Monday - Friday to cancel a reservation.

Tags: chattanooga chickamauga and chattanooga national military park moccasin bend national archeological district tennessee river underground railroad kayak tour ranger tour

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service

More News