Georgia > Coastal Region > McIntosh County > Darien

By SUZANNE WELANDER

Paddlers on Cathead Creek, a tributary of the Altamaha River in McIntosh County on the Georgia coast, pass swamps of bald cypress and the remains of irrigation canals where rice was cultivated on huge coastal plantations in pre-Civil War Georgia. SouthEast Adventures photo.

Cathead Creek is a tributary of the Altamaha River above Darien. It 
drains part of Buffalo Swamp, a rare tidal forest containing bald 
cypress, sweet blackgum, and water tupelo. Cathead Creek flows for 8 
miles through an undeveloped section of McIntosh County that was 
once cultivated with rice for over a hundred years. Today, paddlers can 
explore the irrigation canals of the abandoned rice fields, which are 
overgrown with freshwater vegetation and abundant with wildlife. 
The fields and swamps are inundated twice a day by the tides, which 
average about 7 feet. View an INTERACTIVE MAP.

SUMMARY: Class: tidal; Length: 8.9 miles; Time: 3-4 hours; Gauge: National Weather Service website; Level: tidal; Gradient: NA; Scenery: B+

DESCRIPTION: The upper reaches of this tidal creek can be 
accessed from a culvert landing on Cox Road north of Darien, 
just past the GA 251 junction. Although it appears to be a fresh water stream, the creek’s flow changes with the ingress and departure of the tide. The easiest trip involves putting in at high tide 
and paddling downstream to the boat ramp in Darien.

The creek starts out narrow and intimate as it passes beneath 
overhanging trees. The only departure from the solitude is the 
anachronistic crossing of 1-95 encountered two hours into the 
trip. In the lower sections, the creek becomes very broad with 
vast salt marshes and exposed sandbars at low tide. One notable 
surviving feature of the area’s history is the grid of canals that 
formed the borders of rice paddies, a reminder of the rice plantations built by enslaved labor. Today, these irrigation canals and 
impoundments provide sanctuary for migrating birds and water
fowl.

Just before Cathead Creek empties into the Altamaha River, it 
runs along the high banks of Darien’s west side bordered with 
private homes and docks. The take-out is at the boat ramp in 
Darien at the foot of Scriven Street. There is limited access and 
very few places to get out along the banks of the creek before 
reaching the private docks near Darien. Runnable year-round, 
the only hazards are deadfall, tricky tides, and getting lost in the 
swamps or irrigation canals.

SHUTTLE: The take-out is at the boat ramp in Darien. From 
there to the put-in, take US 17 north, turn left onto GA 251, 
and continue straight onto Cox Street when GA 251 turns to the north. The put-in is ahead on the right where the road crosses 
the culvert. Shuttle service is available from the local outfitter.

GAUGE: Get information on tidal flows before leaving via 
phone from local outfitters or through the National Weather 
Service’s Web site. Moving with the tide makes the trip easy; 
against it can be arduous.

MAPS: Ridgeville (USGS); McIntosh (County)

The Upper South River from Moreland Road to Bouldercrest Road, a distance of approximately 3.4 miles. View Map

By Suzanne Welander

The author manuvers in swift water on Atlanta’s Upper South River. She reports seeing more wildlife, deer incuded, along the banks of this metro Atlanta stream than on most of her other river trips on more remote areas of Georgia.

Mothers Day 2008 wind-whipped us into a tailspin. Yes, we had just experienced a more substantial rainfall than any in recent memory, but with the 30+mph winds out of the west, our plans for a day paddling appeared dead until we remembered the due east heading of the nearby South River. The closest whitewater run to our house, the South also serves as the conduit for much of Atlanta’s (hopefully) treated sewage.  How bad could it be? With a tailwind at our backs, we loaded the boats and drove five miles to find out. (more…)

By Suzanne Welander

From Juliette to Pope’s Ferry, a distance of approximately 9.8 miles.    View map

The Ocmulgee River. Flowing southeast below Lloyd Shoals Dam through the Piedmont, the Ocmulgee winds through steep-to-rolling hills and narrow valleys flanked by a lush wooded corridor. Shoals resume at half-mile intervals below the dam and continue all the way to the take-out.

Drought-constrained paddlers need not stay dry-docked; this section of the Ocmulgee River north of Macon is dam-fed on a somewhat predictable schedule, and offers beautiful forest scenery only occasionally interrupted by streamside development. An easy two-hour drive from Atlanta, the 9.8 mile section from Juliette to Pope’s Ferry is less fragrant than the water immediately below Lloyd Shoals dam and Lake Jackson and ends before the large Arkwright Power Plant. Forest views dominate the river corridor on this easy day trip for paddlers with Class I-II skills.

The Ocmulgee is born at the confluence of the Alcovy and South Rivers in the backwaters of Jackson Lake in Butts and Jasper Counties. Flowing southeast below Lloyd Shoals Dam through the Piedmont, the Ocmulgee winds through steep-to-rolling hills and narrow valleys flanked by a lush, wooded corridor of pine, sweet gum, hickory, willow, red maple, white oak, black oak, and beech. Rock outcroppings occasionally grace the riverside as the stream runs within well-defined red clay banks 6–14 feet high, sharply inclined between 60 and 90 degrees. Scrub vegetation is thick with diverse flora, including ferns, vines, and shrubs.

At Juliette, you must make a quarter-mile portage on the left around the Birch Dam. Shoals resume at half-mile intervals below the dam, seldom exceeding easy Class II, and continue all the way to Arkwright. The large Arkwright Power Plant signals the end of the Ocmulgee’s whitewater and the departure of the river from the Piedmont.

GAUGE: The river is generally runnable from Lake Jackson to Macon all year, subject to regular but capricious releases at Lloyd Shoals Dam. Flow volume is reported on the USGS Web site for the river at Jackson. The minimum is 400 cfs; 800 cfs is more enjoyable. The maximum is flood stage. Water released from the dam is cold, increasing the risk of hypothermia in cooler weather.

SHUTTLE: To the put-in at Juliette, take the exit #186 from I-75 and head east on Juliette Road. After crossing Birch Dam and the river, turn right onto Round Oak Juliette Road, then take another right onto Old River Road, and a final hard right turn at the sign for river access. A dirt road takes you to a parking area. To the take-out, return to Juliette Road, cross back over the river and turn left onto Highway 87. Travel approximately nine miles; turn left onto Pope’s Ferry Road, veer right at the fork and follow the road over the railroad tracks and down to the boat ramp area. View map.

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.

By Suzanne Welander

From Griffin FerryRoad to GA Hwy 152 (a distance of approximately 7.1 miles) and from GA Hwy 152 to GA Hwy 292 ( a distance of approximately 6.8 miles) View map

Clear dark waters run sparkling along the Ohopee’s contrasting bottom and banks of sun-drenched white sand. This is the westernmost and northernmost “blackwater” river in Georgia, an environment often encountered on Coastal Plain streams.

What a fluke! In the deepest recesses of the 2008 winter drought, the Ohoopee River crested its banks and flooded the surrounding wetlands for two weeks running — while surrounding watersheds went lacking for rain. The resulting high water flows hid the white sand beaches this blackwater river is known for, instead making it possible to paddle around streamside second residences and sneak through inundated forest shortcuts that opened up on the inside curve of the river’s oxbows. We paddled these uppermost sections of the river for two consecutive weeks, using an unflappable taxi service out of Reidsville to complete the shuttle.

Burgundy-red waters run clear and sparkling over the contrasting bottom and banks of sun-drenched white sand on the Ohoopee. A tributary of the Altamaha River, it is the western and northernmost river sporting this Coastal Plain combination. A shading canopy of moss-draped cypress and hardwoods combines with the Ohoopee’s natural tranquility and remote, pristine setting to set it apart as a showplace of nature and one of the most exotic and beautiful streams in southern Georgia.

DESCRIPTION: Wildlife is varied and plentiful throughout the wide bottomland swamp corridor that cradles the Ohoopee along its serpentine course. Small islands, meandering by-passes, and oxbows are not uncommon, particularly in the reaches below Pendelton
Creek. The current is moderate throughout, and the level of difficulty is Class I, with sharp bends and trees growing in the stream keeping it interesting. Runnable except during dry periods downstream of the US 1 bridge in Emanuel County, the stream’s width ranges from 30 to 45 feet, widens to between 50 and 65 feet at GA 292 west of Collins, and culminates at 80 feet as it approaches the Altamaha. Hazards consist primarily of occasional deadfalls and a dam that must be portaged above the GA 56 bridge outside Reidsville (G). Numerous white sandbars and beaches lend themselves to swimming, picnicking, and canoe-camping. The banks, also of white sand, are 2–4 feet high and slope at approximately 30–45 degrees. The surrounding terrain is mixed lowland swamp forests of bald cypress, willow, pond cypress, swamp black gum, Ogeechee lime, ash, red maple, water oak, and sweet bay, rising gradually to a low upland plateau.

GAUGE: Using USGS Web site data for the gauge at Reidsville, the minimum is 190 cfs, and the maximum up to high flood stage. The Metter Game and Fish office, at (912) 685-2145, can provide more information.

SHUTTLE: From I-16, exit #90 for US1 between Macon and Savannah, and head south. Stay on GA Hwy 86 as US1 forks to the right. Turn left onto Griffin Ferry Road and proceed to the first put-in. To drive to other access points, return to GA Hwy 86 and turn left, then turn left at either GA Hwy 152 or GA Hwy 292. View map.

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 from other states from Menasha Ridge Press.