Brier Creek Canoeing Guide
By Suzanne Welander
From Hiltonia Road to US Highway 301, about 3.2 miles. In the Savannah River watershed. Map
An intimate stream of primeval beauty near the fall line west of Augusta, Brier Creek threads a winding path through dense vegetation reminiscent of the Coastal Plain.
Brier Creek is simply a gem of a waterway, and for the most part, hospitable to boot. With the exception mentioned in the description below, access is very open. A hybrid of a winding plains stream and lowland swamp, the river corridor is intimate, private, and undeveloped. Our recent two-day float was exceedingly peaceful. While good campsites weren’t plentiful – this stream lacks the sandbars tucked into the inside curve of bends that define so many Coastal Plain rivers – they can be found. Our bottomland campsite, complete with camp toad, was blanketed in moss.
An intimate stream of primeval beauty, Brier Creek’s birthplace lies near the fall line west of Augusta. Unlike most Georgia rivers of its latitude, Brier Creek threads a winding path through dense vegetation reminiscent of the Coastal Plains. Shallow, sloping banks of red clay cradle the stream; trees festooned with Spanish moss arch overhead. In the section described here, it is a sizable creek, averaging 30 to 50 feet wide in the upper sections and up to 60 to 85 feet at the mouth, where it mingles with the Savannah River in a lowland swamp.
DESCRIPTION: Runnable downstream of the GA 56 bridge except during dry weather, the current on Brier Creek is generally slow as it flows a comparatively straight course beneath a luxurious canopy of bald cypress, sycamore, willow, and sweet gum. Graceful Spanish moss mysteriously drapes trees at streamside, which adds to the primitive atmosphere. The surrounding terrain consists of a wooded corridor with pine dominating the low, barely rolling swells beyond the river banks.
One segment of creek is considered private by the landowner and maintained to be off-limits to boaters. The property in question begins a few miles below the bridge at Murray Hill Road (C), stretches past Millhaven, and ends a couple of miles above Hiltonia Creek Road (D). Other than this stretch, the creek is exceptionally easy to access and open to public use.
As the creek approaches its mouth in Screven County, the high ground gives way to lowland swamp and bogs. Hazards to navigation consist primarily of deadfalls that may require portaging; there are no rapids.
SHUTTLE: From Augusta, head south on US25 to Waynesboro. South of Waynesboro, turn left onto Georgia Highway 24. Continue through Sardis, to the town of Hiltonia. Turn left onto Hilton Avenue and proceed to the put-in at the creek. To get to the take-out, return to Highway 24 and turn left. At US 301, turn left and proceed to the creek. A dirt road leads to the riverside beneath the bridge.
GAUGE: Flow data for two tributary streams is available online from the USGS National Water Information website. The minimum level for running the creek using these gauges is unknown. The maximum level is flood stage during the spring. The creek may not be runnable during the fall dry season, especially in low rainfall years.
This canoeing guide was adapted from A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia, by Suzanne Welander, Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey. Organized efficiently by watersheds, the book contains paddling guides to over 80 Georgia streams and rivers, plus the Okefenokee Swamp and the Georgia Coast, as well as a wealth of interesting and useful information about Georgia physiography and paddling in general. Order this and canoeing and kayaking guides for other states from Menasha Ridge Press.
May 17th, 2009 at 3:27 am
Looking to paddle Brier creek leaving from Augusta, GA for 2-3 days. What entrance offers the best chance for camping after the first and second day of travel? Thanks for your time.