The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service still lists the walking trail at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge as closed after damage from Hurricane Helene. The service says it will restore access "as resources and conditions allow" and gives no reopening date. For Lakeland, that leaves the boat ramp on Georgia 122 as the main way into the refuge right now. Two evenings on this fall's calendar are set up so that anyone who can sit in a kayak can use it, whether or not they own a boat.
On Monday, Oct. 26, and Tuesday, Nov. 24, the WWALS Watershed Coalition runs sunset and full-moon paddles from the Banks Lake Boat Ramp. Lanier County and Banks Lake Outdoors lend free kayaks and canoes for both nights. The October paddle comes first, and it's just days away.
The Trail Is Closed, but You Can Still Paddle
The Fish & Wildlife Service's refuge page describes Banks Lake as a shallow blackwater lake dotted with moss-draped cypress trees and ringed by marshes and uplands. The walking trail is the part Helene took out of service. The open water is still listed as a refuge activity. The service's non-motorized boating page describes paddling among water lilies and cypress trunks that rise straight out of the water, with osprey calls and nesting bald eagles overhead, plus cricket frogs and pig frogs in the warm months.
The same page puts the ramp off GA-122 West, which is West Main Street, about 1.2 miles west of Lakeland. WWALS lists the put-in as 307 Georgia 122, part of the Alapaha River Water Trail.
You may have read a different account. In August 2025, Lanier County News described a refuge reopened after months of post-Helene restoration led by the Lanier County Board of Commissioners with the Fish & Wildlife Service, and it mentioned expanded boardwalks. The Fish & Wildlife Service's own page, which runs the refuge, now says the walking trail remains closed. For current access, go by that page.
Two Full Moons, Each Honoring a Different Group
WWALS calls Banks Lake "our mini-Okefenokee" and plans these outings around the moment the sun goes down and the full moon comes up over the lake. The two fall dates have different timing, and each one waives the fee for a different group.
| Full Hunter's Moon | Full Beaver Moon | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Monday, Oct. 26 | Tuesday, Nov. 24 |
| Gather | 6:00 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. |
| Launch | 6:30 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Sunset | 6:50 p.m. | 5:32 p.m. |
| Moonrise | 7:00 p.m. | 5:27 p.m. |
| Scheduled end | 8:00 p.m. on the WWALS page and the Eventbrite header; 8:30 p.m. in Eventbrite's detailed schedule | 6:30 p.m. |
| Free for | Farmers and WWALS members | Veterans and WWALS members |
| Everyone else | $10 | $10 |
On Oct. 26, the sun sets first and the moon rises ten minutes later, so you get a short stretch of twilight on the water before the moon clears the cypress line. On Nov. 24, the order flips. The moon rises at 5:27 p.m., five minutes before sunset, so for a few minutes the sun and the full moon sit on opposite edges of the lake at the same time. The November outing also starts an hour and a half earlier, which matters if you're coming straight from work in Valdosta.
The $10 fee for non-members can be prepaid at wwals.net/outings or paid in cash at the ramp. WWALS says credit cards may or may not be accepted there. Refunds generally aren't given. The November listing adds that if you can't make it, your $10 can be applied to another outing.
The Free Boats Come From Lanier County and Banks Lake Outdoors
The free boats are what make this an easy outing for a household without a canoe in the garage. WWALS credits Lanier County and Banks Lake Outdoors for the free kayak and canoe rentals on both nights. The Fish & Wildlife Service lists Banks Lake Outdoors as the refuge's onsite bait shop and canoe-rental contact. WWALS's outfitter list puts it at 307 Highway 122 West, the same address as the ramp.
There aren't many boats, and you have to reserve one. Each night has its own form:
- Oct. 26, Hunter's Moon: reserve through the Eventbrite kayak and canoe form linked from the WWALS event page.
- Nov. 24, Beaver Moon: the Beaver Moon reservation form says "boats are free, however there are a limited number," and tickets go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 27, the day after the October paddle.
Reserving a boat and paying the outing fee are separate steps. The boat comes through Eventbrite at no cost. Unless you're a WWALS member or part of that night's honored group, the $10 still goes to WWALS. If you own a canoe or kayak, WWALS asks you to bring it.
Bring a Light, a PFD and Trash Bags
The packing list makes more sense once you know what the night looks like. Both outings end after dark, and WWALS states it plainly: "It will be totally dark after sunset." The October page lists these items:
- A personal flotation device. Everyone in the boat, of any age, has to wear one.
- A boat and paddles, unless you've reserved a free rental.
- A light for your boat or for yourself. WWALS suggests a headlamp, a flashlight or glow sticks so other boaters can see you.
- A whistle. It isn't required in October, but WWALS recommends one, and the November listing includes it in the list.
- Food, drinking water, warm clothes and a first aid kit.
- Trash pickers and trash bags, because every WWALS outing doubles as a cleanup.
The light rule cuts both ways. You need a light so others can see you, and you shouldn't aim it at anyone. The WWALS event page explains why:
Full dark adaptation can take more than 20 minutes, and a bright light can ruin it in seconds.
WWALS recommends a red lens, which helps if the group gets close enough to watch bats come out of a tree roost. The November listing just says, "If we're lucky, there will be bats."
Show up on time. WWALS holds a safety briefing before launch, and anyone who misses it can't paddle with the group. The coalition also asks everyone to follow Leave No Trace principles: pack out all trash, avoid damaging plants and give wildlife space.
Paddling Between Full Moons
The full-moon nights are the easy way to try it, but the ramp is there on other days too. A regional visitor guide calls Banks Lake Outdoors the refuge's concessionaire. It lists kayak, canoe and boat rentals along with fishing tackle, and gives usual hours of 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a note to call first. Those hours come from a third-party guide, so call before you plan a Saturday morning around them.
For a daytime visit, check the Fish & Wildlife Service's refuge page on the morning you go. That page will be the first place to announce when the walking trail reopens. It also lists fishing as a refuge activity. For now, a visit to Banks Lake starts at the boat ramp on West Main Street.
I grew up in Valdosta, and I served in the military myself, so I'm especially glad to see the November paddle honor veterans with free entry. If you're new to Lanier County or arriving on a Moody AFB timeline and want to know which local outings are worth an evening, I'm happy to share what I know about this corner of South Georgia. Let's Connect with Rachelle Anderson.
