Highway 52

The Santee River landing on highway 52 is located adjacent to the highway 52 bridge, on the Williamsburg County side of the river.  This section of the Santee River paddle trails is 12.7 miles in length and terminates at Arrowhead Landing on the Santee Cooper rediversion canal.  By land, Arrowhead Landing is accessed from highway 45 east of Saint Stephen to Arrowhead Landing Road.  It is shown on the attached map.   It will be necessary to pre position a vehicle at Arrowhead Landing or to arrange for pickup at the completion of your trip.

On this section of the Santee River there are two landmarks that will help you establish a position and better gauge your travel times and the river flow which varies depending upon river levels.  The first of these is a railroad trestle approximately 5.7 miles from the highway 52 bridge.  The second is a set of high tension power lines crossing the river approximately 8 miles below the highway bridge or 2.3 miles below the railroad trestle. When you pass the power lines you will have 4.7 miles left to paddle on this river section. 

Throughout this section of paddle trail you will see numerous sand bars as well as islands that you may find suitable for lunch or rest breaks.  Swim breaks are not encouraged due to the many deep holes, cloudy waters, and variable currents you may experience.  Santee Cooper maintains a toll free information line for river and lake conditions which will indicate water releases that can affect the river levels and current flows.  Be advised that releases from the Saint Stephens Hydro Plant can reverse the current on the lower end of this section making the paddle to Arrowhead Landing more difficult for weaker or less experienced paddlers.  It is recommended that you call the Santee Cooper information line at 1-800-925-2537 to check scheduled releases.

This section of the Santee should normally take about 6 hours for a leisurely trip in addition to whatever time you might expend for lunch or rest stops.   Typical wildlife viewing on this section of river is likely to include eagles, American egrets, and blue herons.  This section is also a popular fishing area and you may see boats fishing for bluegills, crappie, bass and catfish.   Approximately 12.5 miles into your trip you will come to the rediversion canal on the right bank of the river.  Arrowhead Landing is about ¼ mile up the rediversion canal on the left bank.