Wilson Landing
Wilson Landing is located on the tailrace of the Lake Marion dam. It is accessed by Hi Way 45 west from St Stephens to Wilson Landing Road which leads you to the landing.
This section of the Santee River at 25 miles in length is too long for a day trip and should be attempted only by camping overnight and making two days of the trip. This will lessen the demands on the paddler as well as adding another enjoyable aspect to the trip. While the properties bordering the Santee River along this section are privately owned, the exposed sandbars and properties below the normal high water mark are properties of the state and recreational camping is permitted. During the summer months the lower water levels open many opportunities for the campers and there will be numerous sandbars exposed by the summertime water levels.
Immediately after launching at Wilson Landing you will experience about ¼ mile of shallow waters. After that the water will deepen and you should not experience any similar shoal waters until over halfway through your trip where you will experience several more including a couple of fast riffles where the river narrows and the water shoals dramatically. You will normally be able to see bottom in these areas and they should present no problems for canoes or kayaks.
About 8 ½ miles into your trip you will come upon a right hand bend in the river with a small cabin, boat ramp, and...
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Directions to Highway 52 Landing