GETTING BACK To Nature with Tooga Yaks

Dee and Malerie Colbert opened the kayak rental business after the Covid pandemic made people look to the Great Outdoors for ways to occupy themselves.

Dee Colbert said that in recent years more people have gotten interested in kayaking as the price of owning their own boat has come way down.

Based on the west bank of the Chattooga River at 7494 Highway 68 East in Gaylesville, the business enters its third summer season in 2023. The kayak rental outpost is located a hundred yards off the Chattooga River which Dee Colbert said he’s fished and floated in virtually his entire life.

“My family owned land right here in this area, and I knew people were interested in kayaking. Nobody else is on this waterway besides us, so I thought, why don’t we let other people enjoy this too,” Dee said.

The Colberts have made a sizeable investment in more than 80 kayaks which they offer for rent, along with a pair of airconditioned shuttle busses and the pull-behinds to shuttle kayakers from the outpost up to the Chattoogaville Bridge in Chattooga County, Georgia where they have their own private launch.

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The float is 5.8 miles river and takes three to four hours depending on the flow and how much people want to paddle. “One good thing about our river is that we’re not rain-dependent. In the heat of the summer, we’ve got enough water that you can float,” Dee said. “There isn’t any dead water where you have to paddle a bunch. All you’ve got to do is keep your boat straight. It’s kind of like a lazy river.”

The river is generally not much more than waist deep, though a few spots might be as much as ten feet deep. There are no real rapids, though there may be a few riffles. There are also several places where paddlers can pull off and enjoy a picnic lunch. “The water is clean and sanitary,” Dee said.

The fishing in the Chattooga River is also excellent, both from the kayak and riverbank. Bass, striped bass, and crappie are abundant, and Dee said he’s pulled some striped bass weighing in at close to 40 pounds!

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For the most part, Colbert said that the folks coming to Tooga Yaks have been from a two to a three-hour radius of Weiss Lake. We haven’t had a tremendous amount of locals,” Colbert said. “It’s really surprising to me.” Many clients who enjoy the float come from the Birmingham and Huntsville area.

He does have Tooga Yaks listed on several Facebook pages that are linked to kayaking and river rafting, and the fact that the river is a relatively calm float that makes it very familyfriendly has generated an increasing amount of interest and activity during the season.

The season runs from mid-April well into October, and the rentals are available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The outpost is open from 8am until 8pm CST with the first launch of the day generally scheduled for 9am. Generally, the last launch is around 3pm.

In addition to the kayaks, Colbert has large metal tanks that he rents out for small parties. Those are generally more popular early in the season when the water is usually a little higher. “They don’t cut through the water like a kayak does,” Dee said. Rental fees include paddles and a life vest.

While Tooga Yaks will rent kayaks, they are also happy to shuttle folks who want to bring their own kayaks.

People can also bring their recreational vehicles to the outpost, where Colbert has amp hook-ups available, in addition to a number of tent camping sites closer to the river.

On holidays like Independence Day or Labor Day, Colbert likes to schedule special events on the sprawling lawn in front of the outpost where he has constructed a small stage for an entertainer or small bands. Inflatables are frequently set up during special events.

The nature of the Chattooga River also makes the float a great experience for beginning paddlers and entire families!

For more information visit https://tooga-yaks.business.site or www.facebook.com/toogayaks