Canoe & Kayak the Tidelands of
Coastal South Carolina with

PERSONS OF ALL AGES ... with a spirit of adventure and an appreciation of nature and history will enjoy paddling the slow moving waters of the Tidelands of South Carolina. Moderate physical ability but no prior experience is necessary to participate.  First-timers will have no trouble paddling our stable river kayaks with our instruction.  No age limits, but small children will be placed in tandem kayaks with parents.

NATURALIST GUIDED KAYAK TOURS ...  Regularly scheduled Half Day and Summer Moonlight tours of 3-4 hours and Summer Evening Harbor tours of 1½ hours by stable river touring kayaks, either solo (for one person) or tandem (for two persons).  Full Day tours of 6-8 hours scheduled by special request.  A safety talk and introductory lesson by a trained guide are included.  All necessary equipment is provided.

TOUR LOCATIONS ... vary weekly depending upon the time of the tides.  These are some of our favorites ...

 Black River Cypress-Tupelo Swamp

The Black River is the ancient road of colonial commerce that served plantations since the 1700's.  Paddle the clear black waters that ebb and flow through wilderness cypress-tupelo swamps over sandbars and spreading through creeks to the hidden ponds of the 1300 acre Black River Nature Preserve owned by The Nature Conservancy.  Eventually the river joins with waters of the Sampit, Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers to form Winyah Bay, the third largest estuarine system on the East Coast of North America.  Watch for ducks, owls, beaver and otters, alligators, kingfisher, deer, spider lilies, ibis and wood storks, swallow-tail kites, wild turkeys, and swamp canaries. (Half and Full Day Kayak Tours)

Paddle through spartina cord grass marshes and creeks from the sandy dunes of Huntington Beach State Park at Murrells Inlet, past mysterious Drunken Jack Island, reputed to hold the treasures of the pirate Black Beard, and to a fresh water lagoon with alligators basking in the sun. See bald eagles, sea turtles, wading shore birds, oyster catchers, maybe even porpoise and sting rays, that inhabit the ecotone between sand dunes and maritime forest.  (Half Day and Summer Moonlight Kayak Tours)

"No other Atlantic state can boast of as much coastal marshland as South Carolina."
The New York Times

The Historic Harbor and Seaport of Georgetown

An important port of trade since 1732, Georgetown boasts more than 50 buildings and sites on the National Register of Historic Places.  Live oaks draped with Spanish Moss and centuries old plantation homes recall a rich Southern Heritage. View the magnificent Fyfe and Kaminski Houses and Rice Museum's Clock Tower while paddling along the shores of Goat Island.  Shrimp boats and the Tall Ship Jolly Rover share the harbor with visiting yachts from around the world.  Relax afterwards with dinner and refreshments at one of the Harborwalk restaurants on the waterfront.  (Summer Evening Kayak Tours)

Chicora Wood Plantation Creeks and Canals

On the way to Chicora Wood, visit the mysterious remains of the antebellum Prince Frederick Church before paddling the creeks and hand-dug canals that interlace the Great Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers.  Lined by the dikes and trunk gates that flooded the impoundments, these vast plantations grew indigo and Carolina Gold rice that sustained an aristocratic society beginning in the 1600's until the War Between the States.  Colorful songbirds, alligators, and turtles now find refuge in these quiet waters and marshes.  (Half Day and Full Day Kayak Tours)

WHEN ... Half Day tours are scheduled year round.  Evening tours are scheduled from about mid-April through about mid-September .  Moonlight tours are scheduled during the summer months during the week preceeding full moon.  Full Day tours and other locations can be arranged by special request.  (See our Tour Schedule  for a current calendar of events.)  The Outfitter Store is open year round for purchases and rentals.

Black River Outdoors