Category Archives: Shoals

Paddle to explore Big Shoals, Suwannee River 2025-11-05

McIntyre Spring with boats, Withlacoochee River –Google Earth Pro 2025-05-27

One of only six second magnitude springs in the state of Georgia, McIntyre Spring is about half a mile upstream from where the Withlacoochee River crosses into Florida for the first time. Here it is seen with kayaks, in Google Earth Pro, for May 17, 2025, looking south and downstream.

McIntyre Spring with boats, Withlacoochee River –Google Earth Pro, May 27, 2017

Previously I speculated that the kayaks in this Google Earth Pro map were from the WWALS paddle of October 14, 2017. Since then, Google Earth Pro has supplied a more specific date of May 27, 2017 for this map, so the dates do not seem to match.

Brooks County claims the entire river to its left (usually east) bank, so McIntyre Spring is in that county. It is also on private land, inaccessible by road without permission.

To see McIntyre Spring in the river, the water level must be low. Preferably no higher than about 1.75 feet (85.26 NAVD) on the US 84 Quitman gage, and about 6.57 (53.08 NAVD) on the the Pinetta gage.

Those were the readings on July 9, 2016. Continue reading →

Shoals into out of Florida, Withlacoochee River 2017-10-14

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The Withlacoochee River goes into and out of Florida twice before it makes up its mind. We saw karst, shoals, and rapids, into Florida and back to Georgia all downstream, Valdosta Railway Trestle, Madison County Four Freedoms Trail, and exotic invasive Japanese Climbing Fern, on a fall day on the Withlacoochee River with WWALS.

White water, 2017-10-14, 13:58:34, –jsq for WWALS 30.6345700, -83.3417800

This is Part 2, after Continue reading →

Pictures: Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River, 2025-07-05

Shirley Kokidko sent these pictures of the 11.2-mile paddle on the upper Suwannee River from Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge. Thanks to her for leading. She remarked, “I didn’t take many pictures, just loved soaking up a beautiful day on the river with Joyce Ball and Steve Shaw.”

Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge, Suwannee River 2025-07-05, Thanks to Shirley Kokidko

Also, “It was perfect weather, we bobbled around in our PFD’s in the river just to make sure they are still buoyant enough to keep us afloat, talked about self rescue, assisted rescue and other fun things. Two kayak campers passed us going upstream for a couple of nights. Otherwise we were the only ones out until we got to the ramp at Cone Bridge. Lots of big bass boats with BIG motors, in and out of the water, nobody was there to fish, just river fun. Maybe it was a club, everybody very friendly. I love this Turner to Cone section. Easy shuttle and beautiful paddle. We should do it again sometime.”

Pictures: Big Shoals St Pk to Suwannee Wayside, Suwannee River 2025-05-31

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. Continue reading →

Deadfall just above The Rocks, Alapaha River –Etta Lee 2025-05-04

Etta Lee tried paddling the Alapaha River from Lakeland Boat Ramp to Naylor Boat Ramp, in Lanier County, Georgia, but things did not go as planned.

Deadfall just above The Rocks, Alapaha River @ 79.91 feet NAVD88, –Etta Lee, Sunday, May 4, 2025

She wrote, “I crashed on the rocks. There is a limb.in the middle that I caught. I am sorry that I added to litter with paddle and back pack 😥 All fine. I just should have had my paddle on a rope and backpack tied better.”

She provides warnings, Continue reading →

Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River, 2025-07-05

Update 2025-07-11: Pictures: Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River 2025-07-05.

Join us for an 11.2-mile paddle on the upper Suwannee River.

This is beautiful part of the river has one section of small shoals to paddle through. There can also be some tree debris in the river to work our way around.

Everyone must wear a PFD while on the river. Both ramps are on long dirt roads that are usually well maintained. Please come on time, the shuttle leaves promptly at 9:30.

When: Gather 9 AM, launch 10:15 AM, end 3:30 PM, Saturday, July 5, 2025

Put In: Turner Bridge Ramp, From White Springs, travel north on SE CR 135; cross over SE CR 6 onto NE 180 Boulevard (Woodpecker Route); travel north to NE 38 Trail; turn right and follow road to ramp, in Hamilton County.

GPS: 30.524333, -82.728167

Turner Bridge to Cone Bridge Paddle, Suwannee River, July 5, 2025

Continue reading →

Big Shoals St Pk to Suwannee Wayside, Suwannee River 2025-05-31

Update 2025-06-01: Pictures: Big Shoals St Pk to Suwannee Wayside, Suwannee River 2025-05-31.

Join us on this beautiful section of the Suwannee River.

This paddle is appropriate for anyone who is in reasonable physical condition, agile enough to launch from a rocky edge (see photo above), and can portage your kayak 400 feet. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the magnificent views and cool off in the river.

We will launch from Big Shoals State Park, paddle downstream 1 mile to the start of the portage trail around Big Shoals, the only Class III rapids in the state of Florida.

Pack light as you will need to portage everything on a dirt trail. Then we get back in our boats and paddle on through Little Shoals.

When: Gather 9:00 AM, launch 10:00 AM, end 3 PM, Saturday, May 31, 2025
Come on time to drop your kayak at the launch site and be ready to help with the shuttle to the take out in White Springs.
**Shuttle begins promptly at 9:30 a.m.

Put In: Big Shoals Tract Launch, Right bank. From White Springs, travel north on CR 135 to SE 94 Street (Godwin Bridge Road); turn right and follow road to Big Shoals, in Hamilton County, Florida.

GPS: 30.3529705, -82.6879375

Big Shoals Tract Launch, Suwannee River Wayside Park, Suwannee River, Portage Big Shoals 2025-05-31

Continue reading →

Little River upstream 2014-06-28

Thanks to Chris Graham for leading this one, and to Edwin Brunot for the pictures.

Little River Upstream 2014-06-28, Troupville Boat Ramp, GA 133

We got maybe a mile and a half upstream from Troupville Boat Ramp, on GA 133, St. Augustine Road, west of I-75 Exit 18, at Val Tech Road.

We saw shoals, an island, high banks, narrow, and wide, sandy bottom, and of course the prison, just upstream from Troup Bridge.

Troupville Boat Ramp was then known as Little River Boat Ramp, before we got Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) to rename it.

It is still often known as the Prison Boat Ramp, due to Valdosta State Prison just upstream. Continue reading →

Pictures: Alapahoochee River Chainsaw Cleanup 2024-07-21

The Alapahoochee River Cleanup was jam-packed, all right, but not exactly how we expected:

There was almost none of the usual trash, but eight of us found something unexpected in the river.

Alapahoochee River, Chainsaw cleanup 2024-07-21, Snake in hollow log, Dead gator under log

Shawn O’Connor and Quen Metzler and I sawed through the first deadfall in several places. At the last cut, Shawn found a snake in the hollow log. We never did see what kind.

Bird Chamberlain, leading this outing, had already fallen in at the first deadfall. He was in the water pulling sawed logs out of the way.

Shawn said to Bird, that log’s stuck on a sandbar, see if you can pull it over.

Bird pulled, and it wasn’t a sandbar.

A dead gator floated up.

Not knowing the gator was dead, Bird apparently walked on water back to his boat. “I don’t want to play anymore,” he said.

Here are some video snippets: Continue reading →

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