The Apalachicola River begins at the Florida-Georgia line in Chattahoochee, Florida. The River is 107 miles long consisting of beautiful scenery, extravagant sand bars, and an abundance of wildlife. Back in 2015, the first time I set out to paddle this river, the water levels were moderate and the flow of the river was very swift. This year the water level was down three feet, but we still had a consistent flow which was beneficial on our long days paddling the river. Be sure to check the water levels before you go.
Starting at Chattahoochee River Landing in Chattahoochee, Fl. puts you just under the Jim Woodruff Dam which is mile marker 107. Mile markers dot this river sporadically and leave you anxious waiting for the next one to pop up. We set five days and four nights aside for this kayaking trip which proved to be the perfect time frame. Anything less than five days would likely be an excruciating and unpleasant trip. Planning a trip down to the details is key for any adventure, and this voyage is no exception. Although countless sandbars sit along the banks of the river, be prepared to paddle an extra few miles due to an unsuitable sandbar or be ready to make camp early due to exhaustion.
We paddled 23 miles on our first day. With periodic breaks for lunch and snacks we finally made camp at Alum Bluffs at the 84 mile mark. I highly recommend this sandbar as camp for your first night due to the fantastic views of the Bluffs. Do be aware that during high water levels this sandbar is very small and may only be able to accommodate two to three tents at most. The low water levels during our trip were perfect for this camp.
It was difficult leaving the beautiful views of Alum Bluff behind, but after a few cups of coffee and some breakfast we continued on our journey. We paddled on, passing massive sandbars the size of football fields, perfect for stopping and grabbing a few photos and eating lunch. After refueling on bagels and peanut butter we agreed to attempt to lengthen our day and break the 60 mile mark. A young bald eagle perched on a sand bar raised our spirits for the long paddle ahead and made us more aware of the plentiful wildlife surrounding us.
After a tough 30 miles we decided to make camp on an outstretched sandbar at the 54 mile mark. Although this campsite was not quite as grand as the first, it proved adequate and made for a great second night's camp.
The 30 mile paddle weighed on us as we woke to the soreness and aches of our bodies. After consulting our maps over coffee we designated a suitable sandbar for camp around mile marker 34. We all stretched and happily agreed that today's 21 miles were going to be great compared to the previous day's 30. As the sun rose, we set off. We paddled bend after bend along the river and came across Gaskin Park, a public park, at mile marker 42. We continued on passing house boats which sparked my imagination about the people who built these floating houses and the logistics that were required to own them.
The short day was indeed brief as we reached our camp at mile 33 quickly after lunch. This camp site became noteworthy immediately. As soon as we banked our kayaks an alligator scurried across the sandbar into the water. After setting up our tents and celebrating our three days down, we explored the unique sandbar only to discover multiple black bear tracks and a few additional alligator tracks. Locking up our food and taking a few precautionary measures we slept peacefully under the stars in preparation for a long day 4.
Waking up before sunrise to get an early start to another long day ahead of us, we quickly packed up and guzzled down our coffee. After mile marker 30, sand bars become practically extinct. We prepared ourselves for a long day in our kayaks with very few stops. Following a rough 13 miles of constant paddling we came across a small sandbar that gave us the opportunity to eat lunch and stretch our legs. Continuing on with our goal to reach the sandbar at mile marker 5, we pushed through our fatigue and made it to this beautiful sandbar just outside of Apalachicola.
We set up camp and filtered water, which after tasting, contained a hint of salt water. After waiting for the tide to go back out we filtered a small batch of water which contained no tastes of salt. We happily jumped in the water in celebration of only five miles remaining in our trip. We swam and washed away the dirt and grime from a rough day. After cooling off and settling down for the night, we fell asleep watching the fishing charters roll in towards Apalachicola Bay during the sunset.
We woke up to a beautiful morning just outside the city of Apalachicola with only five miles left to paddle to the Apalachicola Bridge. While strolling under the bridge we all stopped paddling for a moment in delight that we had finally reached mile marker 0 and the beautiful site of Apalachicola.
Be aware that this trip is very strenuous and only a paddler with experience and quality gear should attempt such an adventure. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding this trip and I will be more than happy to answer them for you!