Wateree or Broad River, SC

[Gamma1214]

Once the place warms up a little, I'm thinking about revisiting SC and doing a few nights' trip. Both the Broad River and the Wateree River have been suggested and both would make a take-out at Sparkleberry Swamp a possibility.

Broad River from Ninety-nine Islands Dam looks like 150 miles or so to Sparkleberry Landing and includes 4 dams to portage around. There are supposed to be quite a few islands, a National Forest and Congaree Nat'l Park along the route, all of which provide opportunities for camping.

Wateree River looks like about half of that mileage and would not include portages. Looking at the water trail maps from SC DCNR, it appears that there may be more natural attractions along this route but islands (and, therefore, camping) might be harder to come by.

Anyone on here familiar with these rivers? I'm thinking I could expand my job search into the South and paddle while I'm there.

 

[clemency]

Not directly familiar but lived in the area for a while. Wateree will feel much more remote and tends to have a pretty good floodplain. Stealth hammock camping along the shoreline would be your best bet if sandbars aren't available. The Broad goes through Columbia but does have rapids. Don't think there's any on the Wateree.

You could paddle down the Wateree and then up the Congaree to Congaree Swamp unless the Congaree is in flood. Then back down to the Wateree/Santee and Sparkleberry.

 

[SouthernKevlar]

I've paddled a bit of the upper Broad down to just above the Ninety-nine Islands Dam area, which I really should explore more, and it is not terribly scenic. The river is mostly fairly shallow fast moving water with just enough riffles and rocky shoals to keep things interesting. Downstream from the Ninety-nine Islands Dam looks mostly agricultural until you get to the spreading suburbia of Columbia, but with a good bit of the Sumter National Forest from Lockhart to just above the Parr Shoals Reservoir.

A local writer, John Lane, published a book in 2011 titled "My Paddle To the Sea - 11 days on the River of the Carolinas". The book describes a trip from Spartanburg down Lawson's Fork, which feeds into the to the Pacolet River, which feeds into the Broad River, down to the Santee-Cooper Lakes, and finally to down the Santee River to the Atlantic Ocean. It describes some of the pleasures and troubles on his trip along with some of the characters that he met. It is a good read if you can find it, and may give a bit of insight into Broad River paddling.