Saluda River in South Carolina

Trip Overview

Saluda River - Saluda Dam put-in to Dolly Cooper Rec Area

The put-in is at the dam and parking is very limited until Greenville County and The State decide to allow people to park on the bridge, which would be very safe and easy.

The river is along some roads, but road noise is quite tolerable. The river bed at 300 cfs is quite nice, with very few rocky places and the water moves along nicely, with a few riffles easily navigated by first-timers. There is one rapid with a little short class 2 section, but no issue. One boat in three trips turned over and "rescue" is really simple since the river is shallow and there is a long flat stretch after the drop.

The takeout is handicap accessible; the put-in is down a long gravel slope so this stretch does require some mobility for put-ins.

It is now a regular part of my summer boating trips. It is a very pretty stream, VERY close to downtown Greenville, and a real jewel. The river is not traffic'd at all. Amazing that I floated it for the very first time earlier this year, having boated the more famous Chatooga and Ocoee and Gauley and similar since 1975. Go figure!

Accommodations:

McDonalds, WalMart, all the things you need!

Fees:

None

Directions:

On I-25, drive past the DMV facility on Saluda River Dam Road -- it is about 2 miles and you cross over the bridge and the river, with the put-in on the right side.

Resources:

See "Saluda River Float" on Facebook for more information