Kayakers enjoying the Tyger River.
The Upcountry of South Carolina is filled with rivers and streams. The Broad, Enoree, Pacolet, Reedy and Saluda are among the major rivers that originate in or near the Upcountry. Whether you’re looking for a secluded stream to pull out a prized trout or you are seeking heart-pounding thrills in whitewater or a scenic canoe float, you’ll find it here. We’ve put together an overview of the major waterways in the area and the recreational opportunities around them.
Winding through three adjoining national forests, the Chattooga River is a sanctuary of primitive wilderness. The clear water drops nearly 2,500 feet in its 50-mile-long run from North Carolina to Lake Tugaloo, creating what is often described as the Southeast’s premiere whitewater destination.
While the river may be best known as the scenic backdrop in the 1972 film Deliverance, Hollywood’s most infamous canoe-trip-gone-wrong (written by a South Carolinian, by the way), the Chattooga is the most popular canoeing and kayaking river in SC and one of the most-visited rivers in the Eastern US. Since 1974, the Chattooga has been a National Wild and Scenic River, the only one in the state.
The river is classified into four distinct sections. Section I harbors one of the state’s best native trout fisheries. Section II offers low gentle rapids for passive boaters, beginner whitewater adventurers and is suitable for canoe camping trips. Sections III and IV are by far the most popular, with three different outfitters offering guided expeditions on each stretch, as well as overnight trips.
Wildwater Ltd. Rafting,
Nantahala Outdoor Center, and
Southeastern Expeditions each have more than 30 years experience in the guiding business.
The Chauga is a whitewater gem. This clear, narrow river cascades through the mountains of Oconee County. Bordered by evergreen hemlocks and rhododendrons, it plunges more than 700 feet over 24 miles on its way to Lake Hartwell, creating waterfalls and Class III, IV and V rapids. The strongest rapids occur in the 400-foot-deep Chauga gorge, a spectacular setting marked by steep walls and large boulders, chutes and drops. This river is suitable for expert paddlers only. Spend your time fishing instead.
In 1985 the Forest Service set aside the Chauga River Scenic Area to provide a protected corridor along the river. Timber cutting is barred in this 3,300-acre corridor. The Forest Service doesn’t encourage boating and manages the Chauga as a fishing stream. Rainbow and brown trout, redeye bass, and in the warmer sections of the river, largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish are found in these waters.
One of the nicest places to enjoy the river is at
Chau Ram County Park, located at the confluence of the Chauga River and Ramsey Creek. The Park offers a whitewater slalom course, trout fishing, waterfalls, trails, picnicking, camping and a playground. The 40-foot waterfall, located by the parking area, sets the stage for the beautiful rock and water scenes that occur throughout the Park.
One of the best known fly fishing destinations in SC is the
Eastatoe. Wild rainbow trout abound throughout the river and brown trout are heavily stocked through the spring and summer. It’s a two-mile hike from the Laurel Valley parking area off U.S. Highway 178, just south of the North Carolina border, to the public access area at the
Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve. The river tumbles through big boulders within the gorge, creating a fairly open river here with plenty of pools and deep pockets.
There are six primitive camping sites within this pristine mountain gorge. The forest is filled with large beech and hemlocks as well as wildflowers such as partridgeberry and jack-in-the-pulpit. Due to the unusual humidity in this area, three rare tropical ferns grow here that are not found anywhere else in North America.
If getting out into the woods to see a river is not your thing, then the
Reedy River in downtown Greenville is your kind of river. It runs through the heart of the city with South Main Street's shops on one side and the Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities on the other. The river flows from Travelers Rest southward for almost sixty miles toward Conestee, where there is the 400-acre
Lake Conestee Nature Park that is open daily, free of charge, before joining the Saluda River at Lake Greenwood. River cane is the only native American bamboo, and it is the "reed" that gave the Reedy River its name.
The city of Greenville was originally founded on the banks around the Reedy River Falls in the 1760’s. At that time, it was in the heart of the Cherokee hunting lands. Archaeological evidence of Cherokee villages have been found along its banks in present day downtown Greenville. The “Battle of the Great Canebrake” was fought along the Reedy’s banks in 1775. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the Reedy was utilized more for its ability to wash away the unwanted, rather than to provide a supply of water power. Discharges from the textile operations that made Greenville a center of the textiles industry were discharged without treatment or concern. Many Greenville residents recall the days as recent as the early 1980’s when the Reedy ran a different color every day depending on the dyeing operations of the textile plants.
Today, the river is a showcase of urban renewal. The falls are the center piece of
Falls Park and can best be viewed from Liberty Bridge, a one of a kind, cantilevered, 355-foot long curved pedestrian bridge which overlooks 20 acres of botanical gardens.
The
Saluda River comes cascading out of the mountains of Greenville and Pickens counties. The
Middle Saluda River became the first river protected under the Scenic Rivers Program in South Carolina in 1978. Located in northern Greenville County and completely within
Jones Gap State Park, about five miles of the Middle Saluda and its major tributary, Coldspring Branch, are protected by a 600-foot wide scenic corridor.
Dropping almost 1,000 feet in four miles, the Middle Saluda River is a typical mountain stream, with clear, cold water that supports reproducing trout populations. More than 400 species of plants can be found here, giving the valley recognition as a haven for rare and endangered plants and state record trees. Jones Gap State Park gives visitors an opportunity to experience the natural beauty of a mountain river flowing freely through a rock-bound gorge. Picnicking, hiking, camping, trout fishing, backpacking and nature study are some of the activities enjoyed here. An environmental learning center offers nature exhibits, a meeting area and is also the site of the park office.
The Enoree River, named by the Cherokee Indians, means “river of muscadines.” The name still fits this Piedmont river. Trees along the banks of the river are draped with the dark-green muscadine grape vine.
It’s an ideal river for experienced flatwater paddlers who like the push of a current and the split-second maneuvers required to zig-zag around fallen trees that frequently block parts of the channel. There are some significant rapids along the Greenville/Spartanburg border, but the lower section is better suited for canoe camping.
The surrounding pine and hardwood forests harbor deer, turkey and red-shouldered hawks. The river supports great blue herons, barred owls, wood ducks, osprey, mink, muskrat and otter.
The Tyger River is a lively, frolicking stream that spills across the Piedmont south of Spartanburg before sliding through the Sumter National Forest, where it joins the Broad River. The upper part of the Tyger consists of two tributaries, a North and a South branch.
The rocky upper reaches of the Tyger offer Class I and II (and a couple of Class III’s during higher water) rapids, a delight for paddlers looking for some nearby whitewater and for novices who want to practice their river skills. The stop-and-go rapids, a series of ledges and shoals followed by short stretches of flatwater, make for some fun without strenuous effort or undue risk. There are some surfing waves at decent water levels, and the action really picks up as the South Tyger joins the North.
Lining the banks of the river, and often leaning over to form a graceful arch, are sweet gum, water oak, sycamore, cottonwood and river birch trees.
The Tyger is believed to have gotten its name either from a French fur trader named Tygert or from a legend about an epic battle between a tiger (probably a Carolina panther) and a bear fought on the banks of the river. The tiger, of course, was the winner.
The Pacolet River, formed by the confluence of its short North and South forks, is about 50 miles long and in the northwestern part of the state. The two forks join 10 miles north of Spartanburg and then flow through or along the boundaries of Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties, through Lake Blalock and past the town of Pacolet until it joins the Broad River. The river banks are covered with magnificent trees, such as river birch, sycamore, oaks, red maple, mountain laurel, and many more. You are likely to see lots of wildlife on this river including turtles, beaver, great blue and little green herons, kingfishers, egrets and osprey.
Fishermen will find a variety of fish including blue catfish, brim, bass, rainbow trout and smallmouth buffalohere. Whether you’re spinning, fly fishing or baitcasting your chances of getting a bite are good. So grab your favorite fly fishing rod and reel, and head out to the Pacolet River. If all goes well, the smallmouth buffalo will be hooked by your suckers, the catfish will be biting your crustaceans and the rainbow will be grabbing your chubs.
Lawson’s Fork Creek, a tributary of the Pacolet and known on early maps as "Lawson's Fork of the Pacolet," is the only stream in Spartanburg County that both begins and ends within the county's boundaries. On its shores at the old Glendale Mill is Wofford College's
Goodall Environmental Studies Center which serves as a field station for the college's environmental studies program and is the only LEED platinum certified academic building in the state. Glendale is also the site the Palmetto Conservation Foundation's
Outdoor Leadership School and the Glendale Greenway and Paddling Trail offering hiking and boating opportunities. The river flows 29 miles before it joins with the Pacolet. The sections of both rivers above the confluence have some class II whitewater. Below the confluence is primarily flatwater with some good opportunities for canoe camping. Located near the confluence is the
Pacolet River Heritage Preserve, which can be accessed from the river. The 258-acre preserve protects two Native American soapstone quarries and provides habitat for uncommon plant species.
Called the Broad since 1745, it was known in Catawba as "Eswau Huppeday" or "Boundary River" as the river once was a boundary between the Cherokee and Catawba Indian tribes. Legend says the Cherokee and the Catawba fought a great battle over the prime hunting grounds between the Broad and the Catawba River to the east. After a truce was declared, the tribes decided the area populated with buffalo, elk and deer would be neutral territory.
As the Broad moves across the Piedmont fall line, it drops 380 feet on its way toward joining with the Saluda River in Columbia to form the Congaree. Ordinarily, a drop that steep would mean whitewater, but five hydroelectric dams have trapped the Broad’s force. Nevertheless, some parts of the 50-yard-wide river still retain riffles and Class I rapids. In May of 1991, the Broad River from 99 Islands dam to the confluence with the Pacolet River was officially recognized as a
State Scenic River.
The Broad boasts a fantastic stretch of undeveloped riverfront. Only one bridge (SC 211) crosses an entire 15-mile stretch of river. Going from north to south, the countryside changes from a mixture of farmlands and pastures to pine and hardwood forest. The surrounding forest harbors large numbers of white-tailed deer and turkey. Great blue herons, eagles, osprey, wood ducks and other birds are common. The area surrounding the river is rich with historical features from Smith's Ford to Native American fish traps.
The navigable rivers of South Carolina by law are public highways which means you can legally float them as long as the river is accessible from some public place. So pack your rod, load up the boat and enjoy the beauty of South Carolina from the water.
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