Hillabee Creek in Alabama

Trip Overview

Hillabee Creek in Tallapoosa County feeds into the Tallapoosa River at the head of Lake Martin.

New Years Eve 2007 was promising to be sunny and 61 degrees. And so after a good rain I decided to finish this drought stricken year with one last paddle. Hillabee Creek was my chosen destination, since I had never run it and it is only a few miles from home. The USGS site listed the creek with 350 cfps and 5.6 feet in gauge height.

I put in at the Sanford Rd Bridge. This required me to drag my kayak through an open pasture. The creek has much flat water with several sections of shoals. At 5.5 miles of the run, I encountered an old 3-foot dam. It is located at the end of Brick Plant Rd. Keeping to the left bank, I made it over easily.

This was a very relaxing and beautiful trip. I traveled 8.6 miles in 2.5 hours pursuing a pair of wood ducks and a blue heron almost the whole trip. The take out at the Hwy 22 bridge is very easy to use, and is frequented by local swimmers and fishermen.

Directions:

Hwy 22 East of Alex City @ the Hillabee bridge,

left on Campground Rd,

left on Sanford Rd to the Hillabee bridge.