Suwannee - best place to put in

Is it worth it to put in at Fargo, Georgia? Scenery-wise, I mean. Are there other, better put-ins. And, where does one put the car?



Thanks :slight_smile:


Fargo water gauges
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv/?site_no=02314500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00062



I love to go camping on the Suwannee River and my favorite stretch is between Fargo and HWY 6 Bridge. Here is what I found over the years.



If the water flow is less than 200 cfps don’t bother. the water level is too low.



From 200 to 400 cfps there is enough water to paddle but very little current. Camping on sandbars is excellent. Sandbars everywhere.



400 to 600 cfps you now have a current to help you along but many sandbars disapper and good campsites start to get hard to find.



Over 600 cfps is easy paddling with a strong current pushing you along but very few campsites.

A small group of us
did 8 days & 7 nights on the Suwannee back in June. We put in at White Springs & took out in Branford. We were droped off & picked up so we didn’t have to worry about where to leave the car. If I were going to have to leave my car I would use an outfitter to put in(American Canoe Adventure or Suwannee River Outpost) that way you can leave your car in their lot where it will be safe. If there is a lot of rain up river or on one of the rivers that feed the Suwannee, the water can rise very fast. Either of the outfitters mentioned can give you informatiom on water levels & should be able to put you in anywhere along the river. Have Fun!!! KK

Suwannee launches
You can begin in Okefenokee swamp if you like & lift over a sill. Once we launched @ Lem Griffiths fish camp just downstream of the Nat wildlife refuge (SR canoe outpost will shuttle you there)

Fargo now has a much improved launch facility (part of Stephen Foster SP)w/ free secure parking if I recall correctly

If you use one of the mentioned outfitters you’ll park @ their facility & they’ll shuttle you to whatever put-in you chose. As stated water levels vary tremendously & can have a big impact on trip.

SRSP charges $5/day to leave a vehicle there. Below there the river becomes wider & more developed

Check this site http://www.floridastateparks.org/wilderness/

Put in at Fargo or in the swamp!
The scenery is great, river more narrow, and less/no development. Use the outfitters mentioned - call them and ask about water levels. We were told it was too low but went anyway after another outfitter said it was ok. Sure glad we did - water was shallow but not bad in a kayak and the area from Fargo to White Springs was the nicest part of the river for us. We did the entire river from Fargo to the Gulf of Mexico. Any part you are able to do will be well worth it. See my trip report, photos and useful resources info at: http://paddleacrossflorida.home.att.net/



dave

suwannee trip
I would reccomend putting in that the sill. Spirit of the Suwannee Music park has a canoe Outpost that will run your shuttle, I do not reccommend you leave your vehicle at any of the put-ins it will be safe at the Outpost.

Suwannee paddling
We usually leave our vehicles at the state parks or the Agricultural Inspection Stations and have never had a problem. Drive a beater and you never have to worry! A good trick is to leave a disposable diaper with peanut butter on it! No one will bother your vehicle!

List of boat ramps w/pics & GPS data
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.roranch.org/lam/ramplaunch1008.kml

Yep
I did Rt 6- the music park in a day and a half with the river running strong.



I did find a campsite very high on a bank… No beaches on the bends.