Original plan had been to float the Alapaha.   Not enough water to float a dishpan.  See the link at top to the Alapaha for that plan.

WHEN

May 24 (Fri.) through May 27 (Mon.) 2002.

Click HERE for 10 day weather forecast.

WHERE

Satilla River East of Waycross, Ga.  Float put in is Hwy 301 bridge east of Waycross.  Takeout is about 29 miles beyond at a place called "Doe Lake".  This is a backwater off the main channel and is about 4 miles below US 82 bridge.  A 2 mile private road leads back to a private camping/recreation facility.  A shuttle can be arranged at the management office for $20.  Leave one vehicle at river landing and the others parked near the office.

Satilla River

Comments about float portion:  The Satilla River is a true black water stream, born in river swamps of the Coastal Plain and flowing 260 winding miles before emptying out into St. Andrew Sound on the Georgia coast. The Alabaha and Little Satilla rivers are the main tributaries, adding to the 3,530-square-mile watershed drained by the Satilla River. Black water rivers flow through a narrow floodplain carrying a high organic, low sediment load. Decaying vegetation produces tannic acid, which creates the signature burgundy red color that gives the river its "black water" designation. Adding to the Satilla's silvery, reflective beauty are the adjoining swamplands and bottomland forests that buffer the course of the river as it winds between glistening white sand banks. As the river approaches its lower reaches, it broadens and loses its canopy of trees. Below US 17 (at Woodbine), the river widens and becomes tidally influenced and the surrounding vegetation consists of marsh. It was near this area that many famous large rice plantations were developed, including Belleview, Fairfield, and Refuge plantations.

The river's name comes from Saint Illa, the name of an officer of the Spanish Army, which was later shortened and corrupted to Satilla. In early times, the Satilla was known for abundant game, and fur trappers tried their skills along the riverbanks. A pre-Revolutionary War fort, known as Burnt Fort, is located where the GA 252 bridge crosses the Satilla. The name comes from a local legend that a fort once was built there by South Carolinians from 1715–1725, which later burned. Burnt Fort Station was built in 1793 by Capt. James Randolph, who the next year commanded a squad of dragoons to defend Camden County from Creek Indian attacks.

Wildlife common along the banks of the river includes raccoons, opossums, armadillos, deer, squirrels, ducks, and wild turkeys. A study of the river's insect fauna revealed a great abundance and diversity of stone flies, mayflies, dragonflies, dobson flies, caddis flies and beetles, which are supported by submerged decaying vegetation such as snags and roots. Fishermen seek the river's largemouth bass, crappie, redbreast, and bluegill. Warmouth, channel catfish, bowfin, chain pickerel, and American eels share the river with soft-shell and hard-shell turtles, cottonmouths, and alligators.

Flora surrounding the river is determined by the degree and duration of submergence. In wetter areas, the river flows through cypress and gum swamps. Drier areas support water oak, laurel oak, sweetbay, red maple, and pine. Swamp blackgum are common. In the understory are titi, black titi, and an azalea (Rhododendron canescens), which produces beautiful floral displays in spring. Many of the higher, sandy plateaus have been converted to monoculture pine plantations.

Magnolia Bluff, a virgin hardwood tract, is one of Georgia's prized botanical areas. It is found 1 mile north of Burnt Fort on the river, and is renowned for its very mesic (wet) seepage bluff forest that supports a strange assemblage of flora species, including 500-year-old magnolias growing side by side with floodplain species such as cypress and water hickory.

Canoeing and Camping on the Satilla River

The Satilla is a peaceful, slow-moving river that creates feelings of tranquility and mystery in its wilder sections. Unfortunately, the river is interrupted by farmlands and pine plantations developed right up to the river, which can disturb the sense of isolation and remoteness on the river. The novice canoeist will feel comfortable on the slow-moving Satilla. Camping can be excellent on the white point bars found on the inside turns of the river, or on the higher bluffs that go up to 50 feet above the river in the upper reaches and 8 feet in the lower reaches.   Of interest to historians is Burnt Fort, located where the river flows under the GA 252 bridge.

Another approach to canoeing the Satilla is to launch a boat in the Little Satilla River Wildlife Management Area and paddle down to the Satilla River. The Little Satilla River flows past extensive swamps, with clay banks instead of the characteristic white sand banks of the Satilla. (note aerial photos showed sand bars in first sections also at low water deadfalls are a problem)

Suggested canoe trips on the Satilla River: US 82 to GA 15/121, 15.7 miles. GA 15/121 to US 301, 26.8 miles. US 301 to US 84, 20.2 miles. US 84 to GA 252 (Burnt Fort), 35.3 miles. GA 252 to US 17 (Satilla River Waterfront Park), 24.5 miles. Little Satilla: US 84 to intersection with Satilla River at Oak Grove Church on GA 110 south of Needmore, 30 miles.

Satilla River Waterfront Park

[Fig. 3(5)] Established in 1980 on the banks of the beautiful Satilla River in Woodbine, this well-equipped park provides access to the upper reaches of the river. The Crawfish Festival, featuring locally raised "mudbugs," is a popular event held in the park the last weekend in April. Located on the southeastern side of the US 17 bridge, the park's facilities include a boat ramp, 2 docks, picnic tables and shelters, and restrooms.

For more information: Phone (912) 576-3211.

Little Satilla Wildlife Management Area

This 16,934-acre wildlife management area borders both sides of the Little Satilla River and its extensive river swamps in Pierce and Wayne counties. The WMA is a popular site for hunting deer, turkeys, raccoons, and opossums. Hikers should only contemplate visiting this wildlife management area when it is not hunting season and must give notice to the forest supervisor. Contact the Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources for hunting seasons.

MOTEL

Tifton, Ga.  We stayed here because we had planned to do the Alapaha.  

A better choice for the Satilla River is a motel in Waycross, GA.

Link to Motel Web Site:

Econo Lodge

PLAN - Satilla River

Friday - depart in afternoon with overnight in motel,

Saturday - early breakfast, take canoes to put in.   Take all drivers and vehicles to take out.  Those left behind at put in will load and prepare canoes for launch.  Operator of recreation center at take out will provide shuttle back to put in for $20.  Since river landing is 2 miles down dirt road from office leave one vehicle there and the other(s) near the office.  At put in all canoes should be ready to shove off.

Note: The take out is called "Doe Lake".  It is remnants of an Oxbow and is off the river several hundred yards.  If you do not have a GPS location marked, it will be easy to miss this offshoot of the river.

If everyone has their fishing license, bait, beer and gas all we need to do Saturday morning is eat, get ice and go.  That means get license, bait, beer and gas Friday.  If we get up at 6:00, eat and check out by 7:00 we can leave Tifton and drive the 29 miles to be at put in by 7:30.  A 13 mi. shuttle (26 round trip) and assemble at police station to be transported back to "put in" eats another hour.  That means shove off down river at 8:30 or 9:00.

Lets guess 14 river mi. to camp site.  At 2 mi./hr. that would be 5 hrs. and would make arrival at 2:00 p.m.  No, on second thought better add 1 hr for lunch, 1 for pee breaks and swimming, 1 for first aid treatment of snake or alligator bites, and another 1 hr. for dragging around dead falls and we will get there at 8:00 p.m.  Seriously, could be as late as a 4:30 p.m. arrival - just barely enough time to set camp and eat/drink supper.

Sunday - Break camp and relocate farther downstream below Us82 bridge.  Leaves about a two hour paddle to take out.

Monday - Break camp early, 4 mi. paddle to take out (2 hrs.), recover vehicles, depart for home. 

LINK TO TERRASERVER AERIAL PHOTOS OF RIVER

Click Here to see photos of river starting at the US 301 put in bridge.   You can navigate the TerraServer web site by moving north, east, south and west.   You can zoom in or zoom out as well.  Also you can switch to a TOPO map of the area and do the same.

FOOD

05/25/02 - W. House

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05/26/02

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05/27/02

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CAMP GEAR

CLOTHING

FISHING & CANOE

DIRECTIONS TO RIVER AREA

RIVER DATA