By Karen Parr-Moody
ADAMS, Tenn. – After watching her husband and daughter take off in a canoe down the Red River, local writer Shana Thornton – who usually goes with them – talked about what the experiences mean to them.
“Canoeing the Red River allows my children to see the wildlife around the river, and I enjoy the peacefulness of being on the water, following the 
river and its little streams,” Thornton said. “We get to see places that we would normally miss.”
On such trips, Thornton said the family sees red-tail hawks, blue heron, wild turkey, raccoons, and even coyote and barred owls. For others who want to see nature from a perch while the weather is still warm, there are several outfitters nearby that cater to canoe and kayak trips.
Red River Canoe, on 8002 U.S. Highway 41 North in Adams, offers three- to six-hour canoe or kayak trips down the Red River. Canoe prices start at $20 per person. For information call 615-696-2768 or (800) 762-8408 or visit www.canoetheredriver.com.
Blue Way Adventure is another outfitter that offers Red River trips, charging $30 to rent their single-seat kayaks, $40 for tandem kayaks and $40 for a 2- or 3-seat canoes. Alternatively, if you have your own equipment, Blue Way Adventure charges $10 for transportation of your tubes or $15 for kayaks or canoes. For information call 931-320-8466 or visit www.bluewayadventure.com.
Run-a-Muck Outfitters organizes three trips on the Red River, including what they call, simply, “The Red River Route,” which is only 7 miles long. But the outfitter also organizes a 25-mile trip called the “Mistake” and a 33-mile trip called “The Big Mistake.”
Standard canoe trips are $40 per boat (carrying up to three people), $30 for single kayaks and $40 for tandem kayaks. Trips over 11 miles are $50 per canoe, $40 for single kayaks and $50 for tandem kayaks.
The outfitter also has rates for transporting people’s personal equipment if they own canoes or kayaks, depending on how many days the trips last.
For information call 931-551-6606 or visit www.runamuckoutfitters.com.
Two women paddling in kayaks rented from Red River Canoe in nearby Adams./Julia Corrigan
Photo inset: The view of the Red River from a canoe./Shana Thornton
Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.