I’m hoping to paddle the Altamaha river from the Altamaha Regional Park near Everett, GA to Darien. Where can i get good current information? I don’t know how far this is and if it’s a good day trip. TYIA
Don’t know anything about the river but straight line distance per Google Earth’s ruler is 10 miles. Figure 15 with the loops or you can measure a path that follows the river for more accuracy.
USGS has a site that shows thousands of real-time gage heights across the US. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/02226160/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D
Thanks. I measured 14 miles on Google maps
a ‘non-answer’, but another trip (for some future date)
The trip from Darien to the sea is great fun.
Time the tides correctly, and with the high tidal range (highest in GA), you can ride out (the approx 10 miles) at a fast pace, lounge on the beach for a while and grab the incoming stream to take you back up.
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Thanks! I know how much catching the tide right can help or hurt! Any advice on specifics? E.g., leave Darien x hours before high tide at x location…
I’ve put in here:
James Allen Williamson Champney River Park
31.336589, -81.448479
using ‘https://www.deepzoom.com/’
I would use the tide station at: ‘Champney Island’ and the current along the river (particularly at the ocean).
So, for example, today 3/6/23, the high at ‘Champney Island’ is 8:32am. (note: previous flood still coming in for another 1/2 to an hour)
The ebb is going out (at ocean) until 2:20pm.
It’s about a 9 or 10 mile paddle, if you normally paddle at 4mph, figure on 5mph. Backing up 2 hours (10 miles) from 2:20pm would be 12:20pm.
So, your window would be between around 9:30am and 12pm, depending on how long you want to bask on the beach at the ocean.
Summary: Leave ‘James Allen Williamson Champney River Park’ at 2 hours after high at ‘Champney Island’ (leaving time at the ocean for a good break).
This is excellent! Thank you. I tried to do this at bear island in nc but miscalculated. It was a long paddle!