Edisto River
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The Edisto River is said to be the longest free-flowing blackwater river in the world. The South Fork flows through Aiken State Park. The North Fork flows through Orangeburg. They come together near Branchville to form the Main stem which then flows to the Atlantic Ocean around Edisto Beach. The Edisto River flows completely within the coastal plain of South Carolina.
South Fork
Our most popular section of the South Edisto begins at the public boat ramp just south of SC Hwy 321 (Claude's Landing at the end of Bamberg County Road 365) and ends at US Hwy 301 (Bobcat Landing). The South Edisto is a narrow winding river that can have swift current. A lot of maneuvering around turns and strainers is required. We have probably seen more wildlife on this section than anywhere other than the Okefenokee Swamp.This section is usually fairly free of bushes and lift overs, however the sections above this one are brushy to extremely brushy.
: The sections around Springfield are extremely brushy and should not be attempted unless you are prepared to lift over dozens of downfalls. Experience at navigating the web of small sloughs and small cut-offs that spread out through the swamp is also required.
See Winding River Technique for information on how to handle small winding rivers such as the South Edisto.
Aiken State Park
The South Edisto River flows a winding course through Aiken State Park. The size of the river here brings up the question "When is a river a river and not a creek?" However, the state park tries to keep the river clear of brush and major obstacles. The result is a tight obstacle course requiring maneuvering in current. However, the current is not so over-powering that you can not paddling back upstream. We usually put in at the Riverside Picnic area put-in and paddle upstream a ways and then come back down. We then continue past the put-in down to the state park take-out (about 1.75 miles). If you have not left a vehicle at the take-out, you can either paddle back up or walk the short distance back to your vehicle.See Winding River Technique for information on how to handle small winding rivers such as the South Edisto.
Canoeing on the South Edisto River in Aiken State Park
North Fork
Our most popular section of the North Edisto begins at Baughman's Landing (Shilling's Bridge) and ends in Orangeburg's Edisto Rose Gardens just south of US Hwy 301.This section is generally not as brushy as the South Edisto, but does still require maneuvering around downfalls in swift current. It is a very scenic section with some (but not overwhelming) development.
See Winding River Technique for information on how to handle small winding rivers such as the North Edisto.
Edisto Main Stem
Our most popular section of the Main Stem starts at Zig Zag Landing just below where US Hwy 78 crosses the river at Branchville and takes out at US Hwy 21. There is a long narrow boat ramp at the take-out on the North side of the highway and the west side of the river. It is privately owned and a small fee must be deposited in a box. The put-in at Zig Zag landing is appropriately named and not on the river. From the boat ramp you must paddle through two sloughs before getting to the river.The river is wider for most of this stretch, but the current is swift and there are still strainers to maneuver around. A little over half way the river seems to disappear. It actually divides into three very different channels. The first channel turns to the right and is easily passed because it is not obvious. This channel is silting in and is probably the longest. It may not be a good choice at very low water levels. The middle channel goes right at the apparent dead end. This channel can be dangerous because the current is very fast and can be blocked by strainers. Before attempting the middle channel, be sure you can see a clear path all the way through it and that you have the skill to handle the faster current and maneuvering. The left channel turns left at the apparent dead end. It is not real obvious and can be hard to get into because of the trees, but it is usually the slower and easier channel.
See Winding River Technique for information on how to handle small winding rivers such as some parts of the Edisto Main Stem.
The sections above Zig Zag landing start on either the South Fork or the North Fork. Starting on the South Fork is a much longer section that will require more stamina and no dawdling. The Put-in is just out of Bamberg on secondary road 20 at Cannon's Bridge. There is an Orangeburg county put-in on the North Fork just above the confluence that is off of secondary road 63 Northwest of Branchville. If you are doing either of these sections and taking out at Zig Zag, be sure you can recognize the cut-off from the river because it is not at all obvious and can be very easily missed. If you are not very familiar with Zig Zag, it would probably be worth it to paddle up the sloughs out to the river and be sure you can recognize the turn-off before you attempt these sections.
The section from Highway 21 down to Colleton State Park is a popular overnight trip.
