Catawba River in North Carolina

Trip Overview

Six of us put three canoes in on the Catawba just south of the Lake Wylie Hydroelectric Dam and paddled 29.something miles south to the Landsford State park in Landsford, SC.

We got in the water about 8am. The river was pretty high due to rains on Wed. and Thurs. so we got in a couple of hours paddle before the dam release at 10.

The top half of the trip was eventful with plenty of quick shallow water and exposed rock. There are several small drops and tight sections but easily doable. There were nice spots to stop and regroup/cool off.

The wildlife was remarkable! Otters, beavers, HUGE gar fish(like 4+ feet long), 1000's of snapping turtles, egrets, herons, and several types of flocking geese.

We arrived at the park just before it closed and we moving pretty quickly the whole time so make sure to watch the time if you try this adventure. This is a very long day trip. Everyone was exhausted and sore as we wanted to get.

Resources:

GPS