The Ridgefield Big Paddle commemorates the designation of the Lewis River to Vancouver Lake Water Trail each year on National Trails Day.
We are excited to invite you to the Lake River waterfront for Big Paddle on Saturday, June 4th, 2022!
As an added bonus, this year is the 30th Anniversary of National Trails Day!
Interested in VOLUNTEERING at Big Paddle? Click here to view the opportunities available!
Be part of the BIG PADDLE on Lake River Saturday morning! Join a flotilla of kayaks, paddle boards and canoes on a five mile roundtrip paddle along Lake River to the Columbia and back to the Port of Ridgefield waterfront. $5 BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat) registration covers your entry to the guided paddle. There are limited seats available on two canoes led by Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership for $5. Use the link below to reserve a seat.
Click here to Register on Eventbrite
Day of Registration may be completed at the Registration booth – card payments only. Please arrive with plenty of time to complete registration.
Registration does NOT include a rental. Kayak, canoe or paddle board rentals must be arranged ahead of time on an individual basis. Alder Creek Kayak Ridgefield Location is conveniently located on Lake River. Click here to view their rental options for the day of Big Paddle.
On the water at 9am, Paddle begins at 9:30am.
All BIG paddle participants will receive one beverage token upon completing the BIG Paddle to help jump start the Paddler’s Celebration on the waterfront!
To celebrate National Trails Day, head on a group hike led by the Friends of the Refuge from the Port of Ridgefield through the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Group hikes will take place at 10am and 1pm, no registration necessary. The Refuge will be fee free during Big Paddle.
From 11:30-1pm, paddle participants will experience the sights and sounds of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, visit historical sites like where Lewis & Clark landed, and enjoy a fun GUIDED PADDLE.
The guided paddle is $25 and includes kayak, paddles, and a life jacket. Reservations must be made through Alder Creek Kayak: Click here to sign up
To celebrate National Trails Day, head on a group hike led by the Friends of the Refuge from the Port of Ridgefield through the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Group hikes will take place at 10am and 1pm, no registration necessary. The Refuge will be fee free during Big Paddle.
Join us for the OPEN PADDLE starting at 1:30pm. There will be naturalists and guides on this 2.5 mile paddle along Lake River. $5 BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat) registration covers your entry to the guided paddle.
Click here to Register on Eventbrite
Day of Registration may be completed at the Registration booth – card payments only. Please arrive with plenty of time to complete registration.
Registration does NOT include a rental. Kayak, canoe or paddle board rentals must be arranged ahead of time on an individual basis. Alder Creek Kayak Ridgefield Location is conveniently located on Lake River. Click here to view their rental options for the day of Big Paddle.
Start the day off listening to Traveling Day Society drum circle as you get ready for your paddling adventure.
Awaken the Ridgefield Dragon Boats and kick off the 10th Anniversary of Big Paddle at 9am!
Enjoy the sounds of Chicamarimba on the banks of Lake River while you paddle or while you hang out on land!
To commemorate the end of the BIG Paddle gather and celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Big Paddle on the waterfront with music, food, beer garden and FUN!
When you leave the water you will be given:
Don’t want to worry about transporting your kayak or paddleboard to your vehicle between paddling and enjoying the waterfront activities? No problem! For the first time we are offering a free “Kayak Check.” Drop off your kayak in our dedicated Kayak Check area (open from 11am-2pm) and we will watch over your boat while you enjoy the beer garden, beach games, music, and food. When you are ready to head out, drive your car up to the convenient drive up station to load and leave with your boat.
Beer Garden with Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce
Cans of craft beer from Ridgefield Craft Brewing available for purchase for attendees over 21. All registered paddlers will also receive a free beverage token.
Available beverages:
Food Trucks
Collection of food trucks – stay tuned for announcements about which ones!
Confirmed Food Trucks:
Information
Laurie Wilhite, author of Paddle to the Pacific; a Journey of Reflection on the Columbia River, will have a book booth and a kayak safety demo at the Paddler Celebration from 9am to 1:30pm.
Hang out and play beach volleyball, cornhole, and other games on the waterfront! Complete fun kids crafts.
Participate in a FREE Yoga class with local Ridgefield fitness coaches MKelevate! MKelevate offers live online and on-demand fitness classes including Sole Bootcamp, Spin/strength, Cardio, and Yoga classes.
Travel between the Waterfront and Downtown on the Port of Ridgefield FREE Passenger Trolley!
Running from 10am-2pm
Shop for vegetables, handmade goods and more from local vendors at Overlook Park at the intersection of Pioneer Street and Main Avenue from 9am to 2pm.
Some vendors include:
3 AMIGOS + 1, Ali Garbarino Knife Sharpener, American Legion Ridgefield Post 44, BioLife Plasma Services, Clark County Veterans Assistance Center, Color Street, Columbia Play Project, Crafty Things, E Handcrafted PDX, Essential Oil Joy / doTERRA, Event Full Journals/Sheila Pearce, First Command Financial, Inspirational Imagery, LuLaRoe Christina Lee, Mad One Airbrushing and Pinstriping, Mountain Nut & Fruit Co, Nel Bel Boutique, Northwest Health and Safety Network, NW Nut, Optavia, Phillys, Pink Owl Boutique, Raindrop Giftshop, RealLife Company Cotton Candy, Ridgefield Candle Company, Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce, Seterra Designs, Sheila Panteleeff Bird Baths, SherriFaheyCrocheted, Sugar kissed whisk, US Army, Villages Clark County, VW Creations, ZOMA Tonics, Zyia Active.
Shop for used books and support the local library at the Friends of the Ridgefield Community Library used book sale. Paperbacks $1, Hardbacks $2, DVD’s $1, Children’s Books $1, Over-sized books $3-$5.
Laurie Wilhite, author of Paddle to the Pacific; A Journey of Reflection on the Columbia River, will be speaking at the Ridgefield Community Library about her kayak journey down the Columbia River. The talk will be a family-friendly photo rich experience of views of the Columbia from her kayak and live acoustic guitar music. Books will be available for $26 cash. Learn more about the book and the author at https://paddletothepacific.weebly.com/.
Are you a business or organization planning something on this day? Let us know so we can share the details on this page! Send an email to Events@ridgefieldwa.us with all the details.
Interested in VOLUNTEERING at Big Paddle? Click here to view the opportunities available!
The first Big Paddle was June 2nd, 2012. Big Paddle is traditionally held on the first Saturday in June as part of National Trails Day.
The flotilla travels 2.5 miles North on Lake River, past the wildlife refuge, to the Columbia River and back to the Port of Ridgefield launch for a 5 mile round trip. This year, we are challenging you to complete a 5 mile round trip somewhere new along the Water Trail.
The Water Trail was established in 2012 and was the impetus for the first Ridgefield Big Paddle. The unique feature of a water trail is you can float along the trail, and you will not have changed that trail. It’s a sustainable form of use.
The 32 river miles in this water trail include:
There is rich history all along the Lewis River to Vancouver Lake Water Trail. Since time immemorial Chinookan Peoples of the Lower Columbia River have called the land along the Columbia River home. The village of Cathlapotle, located on what is now the Carty Unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, was one of the largest on the river. The village was excavated in 1990s, and a replica Plankhouse built on the Refuge as an education and interpretive center. Learn more about the archaeological site. Learn more about the Plankhouse.
The Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership joins us at Big Paddle running the Big Canoe tours and bringing some great science and nature learning opportunities in the Paddlers Village. You can learn from the Estuary Partnership at anytime! Their website has a collection of activity videos to learn about science and nature in and around your home. Click here to check it out!
There is so much you can do to help protect our streams, rivers, and lakes!
There are numerous opportunities for wildlife viewing along the Lewis River to Vancouver Lake Trail. The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is situated along Lake River at the Confluence with the Columbia and boasts. Learn more about the Habitat and Wildlife on the Refuge here.
This video, from Alder Creek Kayak, gives a little taste of the wildlife you may see while paddling along the water trail.
Appropriate, low-impact use of the water trail is the responsibility of all who use this natural resource and will ensure the waterways stay beautiful and healthy. Keep the following in mind while you travel:
Haven’t made your way into the world of paddling yet? Or maybe you want to brush up on your skills? Check out the below videos for some quick tips, or visit Paddling.com for even more expert advice!
230 Pioneer St. Ridgefield, WA 98642 | (360) 887-3557
city.mail@ridgefieldwa.us
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