Wilson's Landing
Wilsons Landing is located on the tailrace of the Lake Marion dam. It is accessed by Hi Way 45 west from St Stephens to Wilsons 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 Wilsons 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 dock on the left bank. These are private property and are mentioned only as a landmark. The next one will be a small concrete boat ramp on your left bank in another right hand bend. This will be about 12.7 miles into your trip or just over half way. There are a number of sandbars between these two land marks that are suitable for camping. There are also several beyond this area but they will be less plentiful than during the first half of your trip. Just beyond the concrete boat ramp you will enter a relatively straight section of river about two miles in length. Just beyond this section you will experience the first of several shoal areas and riffles. While they should present no problems to the paddler, motor boaters may find they will need to exit their craft and walk the boats through the faster shallow sections. Good wading shoes are a must for this on the rocky bottom.
Your takeout for this section of river will be on the left bank adjacent to the Hi Way 52 bridge. It is recommended that you arrange for pickup rather than pre positioning a vehicle at this location due to it being a rather deserted area and the overnight parking aspect.
Overall, this section of river is a very pleasant trip. There is very little sign of human habitation and wildlife is abundant. Keep this in mind while camping and ensure that food is stored in a safe place such as a cooler with a latch or perhaps under an overturned canoe or kayak. Ensure you take plenty of food and particularly water and beverages. Sunscreen and hats are a must as you can plan on spending extended time in direct sun. As always, ensure that all of your trash and beverage containers go home with you for proper disposal. This is a beautiful river and with a little effort we can keep it that way for our enjoyment. Santee Cooper maintains a toll free information line for river and lake conditions as well as release information for the dams. It is advised that you check this number, 1-800-925-2537, on the day of your departure to ascertain any water releases that might affect your trip. Normal releases during the day should not be a problem. Rising water at night while sleeping could result in previously grounded boats floating away. Use common sense and take appropriate precautions.
