Suwanee

[PeteStaehling]

I'd be curious to hear from others who have done the Suwanee (I did read the thread "Upper Suwannee Trip Report, Part 1"). I am wondering about possibly doing it in fall or winter. I like to avoid hot weather and bugs and generally don't mind chilly weather. Are there other caveats I should be aware of wrt winter/camping paddling there?

If I manage to entice my wife to join me would be likely to be a low effort trip. She probably wouldn't mind fairly long hours but wouldn't want to be putting hard effort into paddling. I figure that as long as we go when the level is at least in the low to mid 50's at White Springs we will make decent progress with easy paddling and floating, but I don't have a feel for how may days to allow. Does anyone have a good feel for how many days to allow for Fargo to Suwanee at those kind of levels and 6-7 hours on the water taking it quite easy.

My impressions are based on some fairly superficial perusing of the guidebooks and googling. I will do some more in depth research before going if I do go, but if anyone here has advice or can point to recommended resources I'd appreciate it

If I wind up going solo I may actually go with a bit less planning. I tend to be a more adventurous when no one else is depending on me, especially on trips that have been done by others before and there is a lot of info available.

 

[yellowcanoe]

As for when Ask your wife Would you like to paddle in the temperatures you get in January at home? The days will be short. I have done a two nighter on the S covering 51 river miles but it was high water and in late March. And other years segments of either day trips or one nighters along the rest of the river. We have found 10-15 miles a day a pleasant but rewarding day. I don't recommend the mouth at Suwanee at least in Jan. It is miserable cold and a headwind just can take it out of you. This is not palm tree country, The manatees do come up to Manatee Springs where the river is about half a mile wide.. then beyond that to the Gulf it gets much wider.

I trust you have the detailed river map
https://www.paddleflorida.net/suwannee-river-paddle.htm

The River camps are pleasant places to overnight.

When we had canoe symposia in Yulee we would always run around after and try to paddle some rivers and found that indeed North FL weather can be just like New England. or the Caribbean, Depended on those pesky North cold fronts
I have a map from American Canoe Adventures in White Springs that is quite useful. They also do extensive shuttles. My druthers would be to stick with a part of the river and not try to do the whole thing at one bite. Its not far from you.

 

[PeteStaehling]

Yeah, I can see daylight hours being a big deal in winter. I rode my bicycle coast to coast along the southern tier and managed that by going late winter when the days are much longer (my trip was mid Feb - mid Mar). By then the days are much longer than when temperature are similar in early winter. I could see doing the same on the Suwanee. I am close enough and retired so I could choose the date on short-ish notice when the weather looked okay. We both are kind of hot weather averse her more than me.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I've done Rte 129 to Gibson County Park and from there to Suwanee State Park campground alone in late April or early May. Two half day trips. The resident ranger at Gibson County Park shuttled me each day for a fee. The river in that section is an easy float with virtually no maneuvering required. I'd say it was a medium level when I was there. I actually liked the 15 mile run down the northern Withlacootchee to Suwannee State Park campground better, as it is smaller, has some rapids and more side springs.

 

[Guest]

I'd be curious to hear from others who have done the Suwanee. I am wondering about possibly doing it in fall or winter. I like to avoid hot weather and bugs and generally don't mind chilly weather. Are there other caveats I should be aware of wrt winter/camping paddling there?

If I manage to entice my wife to join me would be likely to be a low effort trip. She probably wouldn't mind fairly long hours but wouldn't want to be putting hard effort into paddling. I figure that as long as we go when the level is at least in the low to mid 50's at White Springs we will make decent progress with easy paddling and floating, but I don't have a feel for how may days to allow. Does anyone have a good feel for how many days to allow for Fargo to Suwanee at those kind of levels and 6-7 hours on the water taking it quite easy.

Pete, we have family tripped on the Suwannee several times, always over Winter breaks, mostly along the stretch from White Springs down to Madison Blue Springs SP/Withlacoochee.

The Suwannee does have the advantage of starting and/or ending at a State Park, and there are lots of shuttle service outfitters.

We always lucked into not-too-high, not-too-low water levels and good weather, but I’m sure you know that is a roll of the dice. We got snowed on one winter panhandle trip on the Blackwater.

I’m no help on how many days to allow; those were very low effort near float trips. I’d estimate that with muckleups and lazy drifting we managed maybe 2.5 – 3 mph overall, and we usually lingered on some site for a day when we found some broad sugar sand bench with nice river views. “Oh, look, a giant bloated Boar carcass floating slowly downriver”, “Kids, it’s time to get out of the water”.

(It got stuck on a snag directly across the river. It stunk. We flipped for who paddled across to push it free. Otter friend Dave lost)

I can’t think of many Suwannee caveats to offer an experienced paddler and flora/fauna familiar Floridian. The sugar sand benches are delightful campsites, but that sand makes for a surprisingly hard sleeping surface. And it is very fine grained (limestone?) which gets everydamnwhere; don’t chew with your teeth fully closed.


Those Suwannee sugar sand sites are where I first learned the wisdom, from a woman named Sandy (Sandra), who hated sand in her tent, of putting a fake-grass mat in the tent vestibule to brush off knees and feet before climbing inside.

Caveat to that caveat, we were often joined (er, led) by folks from the Silent Otter Paddling Club, Gainesville area folks who knew every inch of that river, knew every campsite and knew every shuttle outfitter on first name familiarity.

I could look it up, but how many river miles is it from Fargo (really?) to (which) Suwanneewhat?

 

[PeteStaehling]

I could look it up, but how many river miles is it from Fargo (really?) to (which) Suwanneewhat?

Depending on the put in and take out I have seen 170 miles to 220 miles quoted, but I think the lower number is the commonly run section. Realistically getting my wife out on a 3-4 day trip would be great and even an overnight trip would be a win. She does seem interested, but I have not yet gotten her out in the new boat though. I need to get her out on the close by lake first and then on some of the local rivers.

 

[Guest]

Depending on the put in and take out I have seen 170 miles to 220 miles quoted, but I think the lower number is the commonly run section. Realistically getting my wife out on a 3-4 day trip would be great and even an overnight trip would be a win. She does seem interested, but I have not yet gotten her out in the new boat though. I need to get her out on the close by lake first and then on some of the local rivers.

Pete, those are two very different trips, Fargo to Suwannee on the Gulf, essentially the entire river, vs 3-4 days with the missus.

I have never paddled the Georgia portion, or camped above Big Shoals, so I have no idea thereabouts. We have done some day paddling down from Manatee Springs SP and the backcountry camping spots became further and fewer between en route down to Suwannee on the Gulf.

The sections I mentioned having family tripped on, from White Springs down to the State Park confluence with the Withlacoochee, were camping delightful. And coming out on the last day at a State Park, with our van awaiting, made for a comforting final, no-rush, lingering, shower awaiting day on the river. All things to perhaps keep in mind for a Wifey trip.

Lower downriver there were several manatee at Manatee Springs Park when we were there (Three Sisters Springs was manatee better, at least back in the day, before it got concessionaired).

A mile or so downriver from Manatee Springs I saw a freaking dinosaur. Or at least that was my first reaction; a huge sturgeon humpback-crested the surface a few feet in front of my canoe. It looked like the dang Loch Ness monster.

If you’ve never seen those scales or prehistoric looking dorsal fins break the surface feet away from your bow it might WTF is that! freak you out too.

 

[PeteStaehling]

Pete, those are two very different trips, Fargo to Suwannee on the Gulf, essentially the entire river, vs 3-4 days with the missus.

Yep, both are possible with the wife, one only very remotely likely these days. The long trip is more likely to be a solo trip if I do it. I have a past history of doing long solo trips, but the really long ones tended to be bicycle tours. I also have tended to do less long backpacking trips solo. This would be more in line with the duration of the backpacking trips.

A mile or so downriver from Manatee Springs I saw a freaking dinosaur. Or at least that was my first reaction; a huge sturgeon humpback-crested the surface a few feet in front of my canoe. It looked like the dang Loch Ness monster.

If you’ve never seen those scales or prehistoric looking dorsal fins break the surface feet away from your bow it might WTF is that! freak you out too.

I read that they sometimes jump near the canoe. I imagine that is downright unnerving. I remember many years ago (like maybe 50) the wife and I were wading in chest deep water fishing and something we estimated to be 5' long actually brushed against me. It scared the heck out of me. I have no idea what it was.

 

[Kayak_Ken]

I have been on the upper Suwannee (Fargo GA to White Springs) about two dozen times and this is the water flow levels I use from the Fargo station.
0-200 cfps : don't even try, water level too low.
200-400 cfps : slow steady current, best for sandbar campsites.
400-600 cfps:: good current speed but campsites are getting hard to find due to water level.
600 -800 cfps: you will be flying down the river but hardly any campsites available.
800 + cfps: don't bother, water level to high for camping.

The 10 mile stretch of river between Cone Bridge Road to Big Shoals has no campsites at most water levels.

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv/?site_no=02314500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00062

If you don't want to go alone let me know, I love going down this stretch of the Suwannee.

Kayak_Ken (in a canoe)

 

[Guest]

Ken, that is great firsthand information. I both printed a copy for my Florida file and saved it electronically. Thanks.

That was also my impression of the camping possibilities above Big Shoals. Again, no idea of the Georgia portion.