The Suwannee River was deep enough that walking your boat in the side of the river required pulling it up along the bank half of the distance, so wasn’t much better than just portaging all the way.

Except for getting back down that rocky portage put-in.

Big Shoals SP Launch to Suwannee Wayside, Suwannee River, May 31, 2025

Amy was already on the beach below Big Shoals, because she shot the shoals in her Cypress Dagger. So did Mike Hurley in his liquidlogic, designed for whitewater.

The other 15 paddlers portaged one way or another, which was the original plan.

We had lunch on the beach, while Dennis Price told us about the geology of the area. Thanks to Dennis for leading this paddle.

Mike and I were late because I went by the outings spreadsheet, https://wwals.net/outings It had an error: the Gather time of 9 AM was accidently deleted, so the first time I read was 10 AM. You guessed it: made that mistake, back on February 23. The facebook event and the meetup had the correct times.

The White Springs gauge read 53.04 feet according to USGS (52.21 feet NAVD88 according to https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/WSPF1). So that’s well within the 51-59 foot “ideal paddling conditions” on the River Level Recommendations sign.

The White Springs USGS gauge read 51.49 when we did this May 20, 2023, and wading was possible all the way to the portage put-in.

There are more images below.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations

BST

Path from parking lot, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 10:28:59, 30.3527145, -82.6876906

OTR

Amy on the River, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 10:39:36, 30.3526638, -82.6867542

OGB

Lally columns, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, Old Godwin Bridge, left bank, 2025-05-31, 10:43:47, 30.3498171, -82.6860136

StP

Starting to portage, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 10:54:12, 30.3428827, -82.6814464

MRB

Meanwhile, along the right bank, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 10:54:18, 30.3428827, -82.6814464

PitW

Portage in the water, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 11:05:32, 30.3405010, -82.6828694

PatW

Portage along the water, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 11:13:32, 30.3397462, -82.6829976

OtB

Amy from Dowling Park, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, FL, already on the beach (she shot the rapids), 2025-05-31, 11:18:24, 30.3218844, -82.6731530

BJB

Michael and Jacob Bachrach with their wheelbarrow canoe wheels, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 11:22:10, 30.3394806, -82.6829959

MH

Mike Hurley shooting Big Shoals, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 11:25:12, 30.3390704, -82.6834044

OtB

On Big Shoals Lunch Beach, a few still exiting portage, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 11:28:03, 30.3386864, -82.6836866

DP

Dennis Price on Geology, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 11:39:42, 30.3386054, -82.6839566

BB

Banners on Big Shoals Lunch Beach, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 11:50:39, 30.3386427, -82.6839594

SaBS

Swimmers at Big Shoals, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 12:03:08, 30.3380255, -82.6839068

FtB

From the beach to Robinson Creek, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 12:02:43, 30.3380255, -82.6839068

RC

Robinson Creek, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 12:06:32, 30.3367484, -82.6855960

ShbaCS

Should have brought a chainsaw, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 12:07:28, 30.3367484, -82.6855960

Onwards

Gee Edwards heading downstream, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 12:44:56, 30.3288993, -82.7093252

LS

Michael and Jacob Bachrach at Little Shoals, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 13:25:02, 30.3315874, -82.7226524

SRDCT

331 NW Stillwater Way and Sunrise Drive Communication Tower, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 13:38:46, 30.3294996, -82.7338145

NSRR

Norfolk Southern RR Bridge in sight, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 13:41:26, 30.3287198, -82.7360922

US41S

US 41 Shoals, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 13:42:22, 30.3287198, -82.7360922

US41B

US 41 Bridge, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 13:46:27, 30.3260750, -82.7384440

MHLL

Mike Hurley and his liquidlogic, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 13:50:08, 30.3145920, -82.7416257

EhA

Everybody has arrived, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 13:57:41, 30.3258329, -82.7387218

MM

Memorial to murdered William Powell Jr., Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 14:02:56, 30.3258490, -82.7387301

CD

Cypress Dagger that Amy used to shoot Big Shoals, Suwannee River –jsq for WWALS, 2025-05-31, 14:42:13, 30.3525025, -82.6877668

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