Pee Dee River "At a Glance" |
|
| Scenery | Mixed Forests, bottomlands, swamps |
| Best time | Spring, Fall (Winter) |
| Wilderness | Natural setting, occasional development |
| Water Flow | Nearly always adequate |
| Water Quality | Good |
| Campsites | Good primitive camping most of the way (lower river may be more difficult) |
| Hazards | No major hazards |
| Logistics | Plenty of public access; rentals, shuttles available on lower river. |
| Trip Length | Up to153 miles |
| Recommendation | For large river enthusiasts |
Lower Pee Dee River
General Description & Characteristics -- The Pee Dee River's source is in western North Carolina, where its main stem is known as the Yadkin River. It flows generally to the southeast, and is dammed in several places. Just east of Charlotte, NC, at the confluence with the Uwharrie River in Lake Tillery, it takes on the name Pee Dee River. Then the Pee Dee is once again dammed at Blewett Falls Lake. Below this impoundment, the Pee Dee flows freely into South Carolina and to Winyah Bay at Georgetown.
In South Carolina, the main stem of the river is known as the Great Pee Dee River to differentiate it from its much smaller tributary the Little Pee Dee River (which is also a featured river on our site, see link below). The Pee Dee is a large river which flows through bottomland forests, cypress swamps, and eventually into the coastal flats. The extreme lower Pee Dee River flows through the region where rice plantations were the predominant economic engine of South Carolina before the Civil War.
An often repeated story (possibly even true) is that the Pee Dee River was the inspiration for Stephen Foster's famous song "Old Folks at Home". But rather than using the name "Pee Dee" in his song, Foster chose the name of a river he had never seen. "Way down upon the Pee Dee River" might have been a musical phrase familiar to us all, but for Foster's preference for the sound of "Swannee" (sic) in his lyric. (For a description of the Suwannee River, click here).
Location & Canoeable Mileage -- For a trip of 124 miles that should take 7-8 days, start out at the highway 1 bridge near Cheraw, SC. The take out for this trip would be highway 701, where there is a public landing. The lower Topsaw landing mentioned in Paddling South Carolina is on private property and not available for public use. There are several interim access points to modify the trip to suit your desired length.
If you want to paddle the coastal flats through the plantation area, add another 29 miles and two days. In this lower section, the river is virtually at sea level, and the current will be controlled by tides which can affect the level of the river by five feet or so, making camping and paddling more difficult. The lower Pee Dee alternately splits and converges with other rivers, so you must be sure you know where your final destination is and take the proper channel.
Interesting Features -- On the upper section of this run, the Great Pee Dee River flows through remote bottomland forests. There is little development along the way except near the infrequent road crossings. Further downstream, the river meanders through swamplands where baldcypress, tupelo, palmetto, and other water loving plants thrive. The Great Pee Dee is joined by the Little Pee Dee which is a popular float stream in its own right.
Finally, the Pee Dee enters coastal flats where antebellum rice plantations used to line the river. These plantations are no longer active, as they were not sustainable in this marshy land without slave labor. Today, rice is grown in higher elevations where irrigation, planting and harvesting are handled by more mechanized methods. Some of the plantations have been restored, or converted to other uses.
Camping -- You can freely camp on sand bars or other low ground below the high bank. Sandbars are common along the Great Pee Dee River above I-95. Farther downstream, the banks are lower, and there are few or no sand bars. While the land is virtually all in private ownership, there should be only minimal difficulty finding remote primitive campsites above highway 701. In the more open coastal region, campsites may be difficult to find.
Additional Information:
| Canoeing Information | . |
| Canoe Rental/Shuttle Service | Black River Outdoors Center in Myrtle Beach can provide rentals and gear to outfit your trip in this area. |
| River Flow Data |
|
| Parks on/near the River | . |
| Towns/Other Locales on/near the River | Cheraw |
| Books |
|
| More Pictures | . |
| Environmental Issues/Organizations | Palmetto Conservation Foundation |
| Acknowledgments/Contributors |
|
| Miscellaneous |
|
