# 9 Santee River 1: Wilson’s Landing to HWY 52 — Rated: Very Strenuous, 25 Miles

Click Here for Downloadable Santee River # 1 Trail Guide

Click Here for COMPLETE Downloadable Berkeley Blueways Guidebook

Summary: Wilson’s Landing is located on the tailrace of the Lake Marion Dam. This is the longest paddle in the Berkeley Blueways program. This 25-mile section of the Santee River is best attempted by camping overnight and making two days of the adventure. During most water levels, there are many sandbars along the trip. There is very little sign of human habitation and wildlife is abundant.

Difficulty: Very strenuous, due to distance and the potential of Class 1 riffles. Tenured paddlers only!

Distance: 25 miles

Time: 9 – 12 hours of paddling

Crowds: Very light. You’re likely to only see motorized boats near the two landings. Not many paddlers make this journey either.

Boat Type: Kayaks or canoes 14-feet or longer, with room for overnight camping provisions. Paddle boards are not recommended.

NOTE: Requires staging 2 vehicles or arranging pickup!

Put In: Wilson’s Landing, 1541 Wilson Landing Road, Pineville, SC 29468.GPS: 33.448418, -80.158270 or 33°26’54.3”N, 80°09’29.8”W

Take Out: HWY 52/Santee River Bridge, 15 US 52, Salters, SC 29590. GPS: 33.497546, -79.959332 or 33°29’50.8”N, 79°57’33.7”W

Fees/Permits: None

Current: Flows downriver in an east direction.

Tidal Influence: Extremely negligible tidal influence this far up the river.

Precautions: Motorized boats go up and down the river near the two landings. While normally not a problem for paddlers, dam water releases could inundate campsites. Call 800-925-2537 for scheduled releases.

Water Level: For this Blueway paddle trail, the Lake Marion Tailrace gauge height should be less than 32.00 with a discharge rate of less than 2,000 cubic feet per second. For gauge height, click HERE. For discharge rate, click HERE.