Unforgettable Paddle Trips

They say you haven’t really experienced the Palmetto State until you’ve experienced it from the water. South Carolina is a paddler’s paradise with hundreds of miles of diverse water trails to suit your energy and experience.

Water Trails

Get close to marsh birds and wildlife with a guided kayak tour through the legendary blackwater cypress swamp in The Woodlands Nature Reserve with Charleston Kayak Company in Charleston. Or, paddle with RiverRat’s in Scranton during a guided tour down the Lynches River, part of the Revolutionary Rivers National Recreation Trail. This area was the former stomping grounds of Revolutionary War icon General Francis Marion, known as “The Swamp Fox.”

Eco-Tours

If birds and botanicals are more your speed, paddle through the old-growth forests of Congaree National Park or enjoy the blooms on the Guided Spider Lily Tour of the Broad and Saluda rivers with Palmetto Outdoor in West Columbia. Birders, sign up for Coastal Expeditions’ Blackwater Kayak Tour down the Black River in Andrews, and you may get to check the elusive swallow-tailed kite and night heron off your list.

Whitewater

Feeling adventurous? Kick it up a notch with a thrilling whitewater rafting trip along the National Wild and Scenic Chattooga River with Nantahala Outdoor Center in Oconee County. Take your pick from the family-friendly Section III excursion or the rip-roaring Section IV—both are guided experiences with shuttle transportation and a riverside lunch.

State Parks

The Edisto River Canoe and Kayak Trail offers 62 miles of self-guided paddles, including a 23-mile stretch of gentle blackwater that runs from Colleton State Park to Givhans Ferry State Park. For shorter trips, explore the 50 miles of paddling trails in the Little River Blueway Adventure Area that includes historic Hickory Knob, Baker Creek, Hamilton Branch and Calhoun Falls state parks. If you’d like a guided tour, sign up for an unforgettable moonlight canoe or kayak float at Cheraw State Park or explore the salt marsh ecosystem at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet with Black River Outdoors.