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Here are some of the historical, cultural, and natural landmarks you’ll see during your adventure.
Camden: Established in 1732, Camden is South Carolina’s oldest inland city, and is known for its history, horses, and hospitality. Some of Camden’s best attractions include: the Revolutionary War Park; sights for the Battle of Camden (1780) and the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill (1781); Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce located in the renovated 1812 Robert Mills Courthouse; Fine Arts Center; Camden Archives and Museum; National Stepplechase Museum; Carolina and Colonial Cup horse races; Quaker Cemetery established before the Revolutionary War; Cedars Cemetery; antique shops, art galleries, restaurants, annual jazz and blues festivals; and historic homes of the antebellum and Victorian eras.
Lugoff Landing: The start of the Wateree River Blue Trail. The landing is located below Lake Wateree Dam. Lake Wateree Dam is the last of Duke Power Company's 11 hydroelectric power dams on the Catawba/Wateree River system. Lake Wateree and Lake Wateree State Park are popular places for recreation with excellent opportunities for fishing and boating. For more information on Lake Wateree and the state park check out: http://www.southcarolinastateparks.com/
Wateree Canal (private property): As part of the early Catawba-Wateree River navigation system, the Wateree Canal was built in 1826 at a cost of $190,000. It had seven lifting locks and a guard lock where the canal left the river. At the time, the locks were costly to build and maintain and navigation along the canal ceased in 1838.
Love’s Shoals: A large rocky formation familiar to fishermen. One of the primary aims of the Wateree Canal, which cut into the opposite river bank, was to make the river navigable past these shoals. Much earlier this was a gathering place for neighboring Native Americans as it afforded excellent fishing and hunting.
Pine Tree Creek: Several attempts were made to improve navigation on Pine Tree Creek, which flows near the historic district of Camden.
Highway 1 Bridge: Although several bridges were built at this location, the bridge abutments seen today are the remains of the Wateree River Bridge that collapsed in a 1916 flood. The Camden Ferry operated from this site prior to and after that flood. Note the old ferry road and ferry works seen to the east. This is also the location of the Highway 1 Landing, the second public landing on the trail and the takeout for day trips from the Lugoff Landing.
Wateree (Gaunt’s) Ferry - Colonial Road: Quaker and Friends Neck settler Nebo Gaunt established Gaunt’s Ferry in 1750. Also called the Wateree Ferry and Camden Ferry, it was located approximately 2 miles east of Interstate 20, and operated from 1750 to 1827. On May 25, 1791, President George Washington took this route from Columbia to Camden. A bridge was built to replace the ferry in 1838, but burned when Union troops bypassed Camden in 1865. The bridge was repaired, but then abandoned in 1872. The new bridge was built 1 mile upstream in 1883.
Cary’s Fort: A small, earthen fort was built in the summer of 1780, by local Loyalist militia Col. James Cary. The fort guarded the western approach to the Wateree Ferry and the road that ran parallel to the west side of the Wateree River. South Carolina Patriot militia Col. Thomas Taylor, under the command of Gen. Thomas Sumter, captured Cary’s Fort on Aug 15, 1780.
Friends Neck: A large bend in the river located near the original Mulberry Plantation.
Mulberry Plantation: In the 1760s, James Chesnut migrated from Virginia and acquired tracts of land in the area of the original Fredricksburg (Camden) Township where he established Mulberry Plantation. The plantation grew under the management of his heir and nephew, James II. By the 1840’s, the plantation included more than 12,000 acres. Some lands sold following the Civil War were bought back by Chesnut family heirs who continue to maintain the property. Today, Mulberry continues to operate as a working farm.
Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut penned her "A Diary" at Sarsfield. Mary’s husband and Mulberry heir, Gen. James Chesnut III was a former U.S. Senator who became an aide to Confederate President Jefferson Davis during the war. James and Mary Boykin Chesnut moved to Camden in 1883, where they lived the remainder of their lives.
Belmont Neck: An oblong tract of land encircled, with the exception of a narrow causeway, by the Wateree River.
Devil’s Elbow: A large oxbow island with excellent camping on the sandbar.
Boykin: In 1756, William Boykin II came to the Fredericksburg (Camden) Township and laid claim to some 300 acres located 6 miles south of Camden. Since that time the area has become a small but vibrant farming community. By the 1840’s this area was known as Boykin, and a post office was established in early 1849 near the new railroad line at Boykin’s Depot. Boykin is the site of a final battle of the Civil War. Today, descendants of William Boykin II maintain the historic community which includes a grist mill, general store-post office (Boykin Grill), Swift Creek Church, a regionally know broom manufacturer, and Boykin Mill Pond Steakhouse, which overlooks the original mill pond.
Wateree Correctional Facility: Located on river left approximately 15 miles downstream of the Interstate 20 bridge and approximately 10 miles upstream of the 378 Landing. The property extends for approximately 5 miles. Although there are several sand bars suitable for camping, this is not a safe place to camp for obvious reasons. Plan your trip accordingly.
Cook’s Mountain: Paddling downstream from Camden, several miles before reaching Garner’s Ferry and just below where Spears Creek enters the Wateree River on your right, Cook’s Mountain rises above the river and surrounding land. The first European to comment on the remarkable mountain was John Lawson, exploring for the King of England in 1700. The abundance of Native American artifacts found here attest to its prominence in Wateree Indian society as well. In the mid 1700’s, surveyor James Cook purchased this property and lived here while he oversaw the survey and mapping of the colony’s navigable waters for England and the South Carolina Commons. Half of the very large, linen cloth original James Cook map, saved during a fire, presently hangs in the South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston. After the map was completed, James Cook returned to England, selling his property, including the mountain, to such famous South Carolinians as Henry Middleton, Arthur Middleton and Joseph Kershaw. Cook’s map, presented to the South Carolina Assembly in 1773, shows his house on the top of the mountain. There is presently one residence on Cook’s Mountain. The property is used for education, recreation and managed intensively for wildlife habitats. Cook’s Mountain is a uniquely diverse property, composed of heavy red clay with sandstone outcroppings, and many different ecosystems from the mountain itself to the tupelo-cypress swamp below. Several unusual plant communities are found here, along with an abundance of animals including deer, wild turkeys, waterfowl, wild hogs and occasionally bear and cougars.
Garner’s Ferry: A ferry site formerly known as Brisbane’s ferry. Originally, it was known as Simmons' ferry. The Highway 378 Landing is located near this former ferry site.
Highway 378 Landing: The third public landing downstream from the beginning of the Wateree River Blue Trail is located on river right. It is approximately 50 miles downstream of Dam and 30 miles upstream of the last takeout at the 601 Landing.
Kensington Plantation: Located on river right, the plantation is located eight miles east of the town of Eastover in Richland County. The plantation is believed to have existed since 1787 was owned by the Singleton family until 1925. The plantation is currently owned by International Paper who have restored Kensington Mansion. It is open for tours several days a week.
Manchester State Forest: The forest consists of 25,000 acres of mixed pine and hardwood species native to the midlands of South Carolina. The forest practices multiple use and sustained-yield forest management, which includes enhancing timber production, fish and wildlife habitat, air and water quality, soil conservation, scenic beauty, scientific research, and recreational opportunities including hunting. It is managed to yield a variety of forest products, from pulpwood and saw timber to poles and pine straw. Strands of non-native slash pine, planted in the 1960’s, are gradually harvested and replaced with longleaf pine. In 1989, the forest was severely damaged by Hurricane Hugo with 65% of the timber base destroyed. Since then hundreds of acres have been salvaged and replanted. Learn more about Manchester State Forest.
Poinsett State Park: The 1,000 acre state park was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal Program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The park is located a few miles from Wateree River Blue Trail and can be visited on the Palmetto Trail. Camping is available at the park. Learn more about Poinsett State Park visit.
Wateree Passage: A section of the Palmetto Trail, the 7.2 mile Wateree Passage begins in Poinsett State Park and runs to the Wateree River. The Wateree Passage crosses through Manchester State Forest and along the old South Carolina Railroad bed. The passage is one of the most diverse sections of the Palmetto Trail, traversing a variety of landscapes from near mountainous terrain down to a magnificent floodplain swamp. The trail asends to the "High Hills of the Santee", one of the highest elevations in Sumter County, before its decent to the Wateree River.
Congaree National Park: On river right, Congaree National Park borders the Wateree River Blue Trail for its final 4 miles above the confluence with the Congaree River. This portion of the Fork Swamp has only recently been part of Congaree National Park, and the park’s purchase of lands within its new boundary is not yet complete. When finished, the new tract will connect the previously-acquired 22,000 acres of Congaree National Park with the16,700-acre Upper Santee Swamp Natural Area, owned by the South Carolina Public Service Authority, creating a 45,000-acre natural corridor along the Congaree-Wateree-Santee river basins.
Though this area lacks the old-growth characteristics of other parts of the national park, it has several unique resources in its own right. The tract harbors dwarf cypress and planer tree communities not represented at all on existing park lands, and an unusual mix of sweetgum, bald cypress, water tupelo, and green ash dominates the Bates Old River ridge and swale system.
Researchers have proposed that sand ridges in the Fork Swamp could be the location of the town of Aymay (or Guiomae) visited by Hernando de Soto 1540, but its exact location remains unknown. The confluence of the two rivers may also be the site of the Congaree Indian village visited by John Lawson in 1700. Bates Old River, accessible via an unimproved boat ramp (outside the park) off Highway 601, is the longest oxbow lake (4 miles) on the Congaree River, and provides an excellent flat-water canoeing/kayaking experience with the opportunity to see alligators, large wading birds and osprey and Mississippi kites. A causeway traces the route of historic McCords Ferry (Bates Ferry) Road across the floodplain to the site of Bates Ferry
Congaree National Park was designated South Carolina’s first national park in 2003. Originally founded as Congaree Swamp National Monument in 1976, the park is home to more than 15,000 acres of wilderness and covers more than 22,200 acres total. Paddlers and hikers can enjoy the network of 20 miles of hiking trails within the park and take advantage of opportunities to camp, fish, watch birds, and study nature. Guided walks and canoe trips are offered free of charge. Learn about special events and programs.
The main section of the park adjacent to the Congaree River protects the largest contiguous area of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the U.S. This unique and increasingly rare forest ecosystem depends on the health of the Wateree River for providing periodic seasonal flooding. The 10,000 acre section of the park on the Wateree River was secured in 2006. It offers paddlers opportunities to explore this rarely visited section and to discover undocumented champion bottomland hardwood trees.
The Harry Hampton Visitor Center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except December 25. During daylight savings time, the visitor center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. An official park map and guide, a self-guided boardwalk brochure, species lists, and camping and fishing regulations are all available online or at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center.
Backcountry camping in Congaree National Park is a great way to experience the wilderness. Free camping permits (issued for up to 14 days) must be obtained in advance. Camping is primitive, with no designated camp pads or additional amenities. Campsites must be at least 100 feet away from backcountry trails, rivers, and streams. To protect the wilderness, campfires are not allowed so cooking must be with a camp stove only. Full camping regulations (including “Leave No Trace” principles) and permit applications are available online or at the Congaree Visitor Center.
