Waccamaw River

About

From the North Carolina line to Winyah Bay, the Waccamaw runs 140 miles of blackwater through Horry and Georgetown counties at an average 1,200 CFS. The upper 50 miles from the state line to Conway stay narrow and dark, winding through longleaf pine uplands before entering the cypress swamps that define the middle section. Conway to Bucksport covers 40 miles of classic lowcountry paddling — bald cypress, Spanish moss, and tannic water stained amber by leaf litter. Below Bucksport, the final 50 miles widen and turn tidal as the river approaches Winyah Bay. The Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, established in 2000, protects critical wetland habitat along the corridor. At Class I throughout with optimal flows from 300 to 2,000 CFS, this is flatwater paddling where the challenge comes from navigation rather than current. USGS gauge 02110500 tracks conditions, and Waccamaw River Paddle Trails provides outfitting services for sections of the designated South Carolina Scenic River.