White sandbars on the Satilla are scenic campsites. Cypress swamps (in the photo below), provide a contrasting river environment for paddlers.

The Satilla River, one of Georgia’s 14 major watersheds, has the distinction of being the largest blackwater river situated entirely within Georgia. With a dignified and tranquil pace, it oozes along beneath a wooded canopy, bypassing Waycross and the Okefenokee Swamp before looping south to meet the Atlantic at St. Andrews Sound. Undergrowth is thick and luxurious with swamp cyrilla and azalea setting the reflective river aflame with color in the early spring. Glistening white sandbars occupy the insides of turns and provide resting spots for the traveler, while birds, reptiles, and other animals hurry about their business in the swamp. Although many adjacent acres have been reclaimed for commercial pine planting, the river, cradled neatly by a wet bottomland forest corridor, remains pristine in appearance if not in fact. Since the area is favored by sportsmen, boat ramps are common and fishing camps are frequently encountered along the Satilla’s course.

This canoeing guide is divided into three separate sections: Section 1: 55.6 miles; Section 2:   101.8 miles; and Section 3: 25.5 miles, each of which may be further divided into shorter trips.

Section 1: US 441 to US 84/ GA 38
Class tidal and smooth water; length, 55.6 miles; time, up to 1.5 weeks; level 5.0 feet; gradient less than 2 feet per mile; scenery A- SEE MAP

DESCRIPTION: The Satilla is runnable below US 441 during the winter and spring. In Atkinson County where this section begins, the Satilla flows in a straighter course than in Ware County and below where the characteristic white sandbars begin to materialize. An umbrella of pine, swamp black gum, water oak, laurel oak, sweet bay, and majestic cypress shade the stream as it winds past white sand banks up to 8 feet high, sandy bluffs, and commercial pine forest plateaus that tower over the stream from time to time. A rather barren strip of cultivated tableland parallels the Satilla for about a mile below the GA 158 Bridge in Ware County before the stream again slips back into the wooded corridor.

Deadfalls blockages above Waycross pose the primary hazards to navigation in this section, impeding downstream progress and acting as a barrier for larger boats. A canoe is the ideal watercraft to portage around any obstructions. Though water levels fluctuate somewhat unpredictably, especially above Waycross, flash flooding is not considered a problem. Campsites, however, should be chosen on bluffs rather than sandbars in the winter and spring.

SHUTTLE:  To reach the lowest take-out for this section from Waycross, take US 82 west. Turn right onto US 1/23 and continue to the bridge over the river. Access is on the southwest corner of the bridge over the main channel. Most of the upper access points are most easily reached from US 82 south of the river.

GAUGE: Data for the gauge located near Waycross is available on the USGS website. Less than 5 feet can make progress difficult. Sandbars are covered above 8 feet, and above 9-10 feet, the current becomes swift. The maximum is up to high flood stage. Call the Waycross Fisheries Office at 912-285-6094 for more information.

Section 2: US 84 / GA 38 to GA 252
Class, tidal and smooth water; length, 101.8 miles; time, up to 2 weeks; level 5.0 feet; gradient, less than 1 foot per mile; scenery A- SEE MAP

DESCRIPTION: The Satilla is runnable below Waycross most of the year, although it is still possible to encounter downed trees that completely block the stream as low as the US 301 Bridge. The river starts this section by broadening to between 55 and 80 feet as it wriggles out from under its tree canopy to some extent. Throughout the circumambient terrain of Waycross, open farm fields intrude on the privacy of the river and assert themselves once again along the Pierce-Brantley county line below the GA 121 Bridge, where the white sandbars become rare until the confluence with the Little Satilla 37 miles downstream.

Below the mouth of the Little Satilla, sandbars once again become prevalent, as do horseshoe loops, bypass islands, and oxbow lakes, particularly where the river flows near Nahunta. The Satilla continues to broaden, reaching a width of 110-130 feet before passing into Camden County. Flowing along the Charlton-Camden county line, the wilderness hides any sign of civilization as immense woodland swamps settle in and the river widens further to 180-210 feet. Tall sandy bluffs offer high ground camping above the GA 252 Bridge, and the ruins of Burnt Fort, a pre-Revolutionary era bastion, make an interesting side-trip.

The next verified public access below US 82 is 29 miles downstream, eliminating everything but the possibility of multiple-day canoe-camping trips.

SHUTTLE: The last take-out for this section is northeast of Folkston on GA 252. See the map for the locations of up-river access points.

GAUGE: Data for the gauge located near Waycross is available on the USGS website.

Section 3: GA 252 to Woodbine
Class, tidal; length, 25.5 miles; time, up to 3 days; level, N/A; gradient, less than 1 foot per mile; scenery A- SEE MAP

DESCRIPTION: Depending on the water level coming downstream, tidal effects begin to influence the river as high as the 3-R Fish Camp, 10 miles above the GA 252 Bridge. Grassy marsh prairies alternate with bottom forest along the river channel, particularly below the mouth of Armstrong Creek. Below the US 17 Bridge at Woodbine to the St. Andrew Sound, access is almost non-existent and tidal currents are tricky. Some sandy bluffs persist in this area, but wet marshes, intricate networks of tidal creeks, and saltwater estuaries are the order of the day. The tidal currents near St. Andrew Sound, along with some powerboat traffic in the lower reaches, pose the primary hazards to navigation in this section.

SHUTTLE: The lowest take-out in this section is at the boat ramp on the southeast corner of US 17 Bridge in Woodbine. See the map for the locations of up-river access points.

GAUGE: The gauge at Atkinson as reported on the USGS website is more appropriate to this section, though levels will be heavily influenced by the tides. Be familiar with tidal patterns and how to manage them, particularly near the end of this section.

USGS Maps: Douglas South, Pearson, Axson, Talmo, Dixie Union, Blackshear West, Waycross East, Hoboken West, Blackshear East, Patterson Southeast, Hortense, Nahunta, Boulogne, Woodbine. County Maps: Camden, Charlton, Coffee, Atkinson, Ware.

Links:

• The Satilla River is one of Georgia 14 major watersheds. Read more about the Satilla River, including the best places from which a non-boater can view the river.
• Download a Georgia River Poster of the Satilla River.
• Want to explore the Satilla River but would prefer to have a guide? Contact SouthEast Adventures for a Satilla canoe trip.

A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia is a compilation of paddling guides to over 80 Georgia streams and rivers, plus the Okefenokee Swamp and Georgia Coast, published by Menasha Ridge Press since 1982. Originally written by Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey, it has been extensively revised and updated by Suzanne Welander. Organized efficiently by watersheds, the book contains a wealth of interesting and useful information about Georgia physiography and paddling, in general, as well as the authoritative paddling guides. To purchase a copy of A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia, a book every paddler of Georgia streams should have in their library (and boat), and to see over 75 other outdoor guides published by Menasha, visit the Menasha Ridge Press website.