- Francis Marion National Forest - As we make our way to the landing, we’ll traverse the expanse of the Francis Marion National Forest. Our journey will include a 3-mile drive on a road maintained by the Forest Service. Along the route, we’ll travel through a Wildlife Management Area where entities such as the US Forest Service and the SC Department of Natural Resources oversee and conduct research on the terrain. This area serves as an exemplary habitat for the at-risk longleaf pine and the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Additionally, it’s common to spot deer, turkeys, wild pigs, a variety of birds and reptiles, and other wildlife.
- Professional ACA Certified Kayak Guide
- Kayak Use, Paddle, and PFD
- Gratuities
Experience Charleston’s untamed aspect!! A short 50-minute drive away from the city center of Charleston, and just 40 minutes from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, you will find a ‘Nationally Acknowledged and Designated Trail’. It stands in the core of a Secured Wilderness Area in the Francis Marion National Forest. The picturesque Blackwater Creek, a tributary of the Santee River, was navigated by the Santee and Coastal Plain Indians for millennia. Magnificent 1000-year-old Bald Cypress trees adorn the upper section while Water Oak, Ash, Red Maple, and Swamp Dogwood provide cover to its untouched black waters. The calming paddle trip provides incredible birdwatching and animal spotting opportunities like Prothonotary warblers, Barred Owls, alligators, turtles and occasionally, river otters. The riverbanks showcase the geological history of the Rice era where age-old earthen embankments gradually give way to a waterlogged subtropical forest of deserted rice fields once possessing wealthy Rice Plantations. It’s an absolute paradise for nature enthusiasts.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.