The Ocmulgee River: A Paddler's Guide
A big, wide coastal-plain river with sandbars, sweeping bends and long remote stretches between landings, from Macon down to Lumber City where it meets the Oconee and forms the Altamaha.
The Ocmulgee Water Trail runs from Macon to Lumber City, the longest continuous water trail in Georgia. It is Class I flatwater and runnable year-round, with spring giving the most reliable water. The gaps between landings are long, over 20 miles with no exit in places, and several access roads are dirt and impassable when wet. Camp on sandbars or at the landings with improved sites, and check the gauge and the access road before you commit.
Where it is
A big, wide coastal-plain river with sandbars, sweeping bends and long remote stretches between landings. The Ocmulgee Water Trail runs from Macon to the Oconee confluence at Lumber City, where the two rivers form the Altamaha -- at about 200 miles of water trail.
From Saint George, the Ocmulgee is about 110 mi north/northwest to Macon; the lower landings near Lumber City are about 85 mi north.
Access and put-ins
Runs are organized around the numbered public landings on the Ocmulgee Water Trail. Shuttle between the landings yourself, and check each access road before you commit. Westlake's access road is dirt and often impassable after rain, Sandy Hammock is reached by 1.5 miles of dirt road off GA 230, and Flat Tub's ramp sits in a slough that may be unusable in high water.
No river-wide livery. Shuttle between the numbered public landings yourself; the Ocmulgee Water Trail partnership publishes the landing map and signage is now posted at the public river landings.
Best time to paddle and water levels
Runnable year-round. Spring gives the most reliable water; late summer drops it and exposes the sandbars.
Four USGS gauges bracket the Macon-to-Lumber-City stretch: 02213000 at Macon, 02215000 at US 341 in Hawkinsville, 02215260 at Abbeville, and 02215500 at Lumber City. Check the gauge nearest your put-in before committing to a long segment -- some of these runs are 20 miles with no exit.
Alligators and safety
Long unbroken gaps between landings -- the Dodge's Lake to Mobley Bluff segment is over 20 miles with no exit. Several access roads are dirt and impassable when wet, and Flat Tub's ramp sits in a slough that may be unusable in high water. Strainers, motorboat traffic near town landings, heat and no shade mid-river.
Alligators in the lower reaches, deer, hogs, otter, wading birds, hawks and owls; largemouth bass, catfish and redbreast.
Permits and rules
No permit. Several landings allow overnight parking and primitive camping -- Dodge County Landing, Mile Branch Park and James Dykes Memorial Park among them. The two Macon landings are daylight-only.
Sandbars and a handful of landings with improved camping. Mile Branch Park has restrooms and hot showers; James Dykes has tent and RV sites with no fee; Dodge County Landing is primitive and remote.
Our trips on the Ocmulgee
We have run this water and filmed it. Watch to see the real conditions: the bends, the sandbars, the landings, and the river as it actually is.
Go deeper
River levels
The USGS gauge for every river we paddle, and what the reading actually means for a loaded canoe.
The Canoe Camping Playbook
Our step-by-step course on planning, packing, and running multi-day river trips. Everything behind an expedition on the Ocmulgee River.
Camping Wilderness Skills
The community, courses, and app behind every trip we run. Trade notes with other paddlers who run these rivers. A hobby community on Skool.
Ocmulgee River expedition films
See the conditions and the films we made on this river.
Trips, unpacked
Browse the Field Notes for the decisions, gear, and lessons behind real blackwater trips.
Free Paddler's Guide
Get the complete river-planning guide for the Okefenokee and Southeast Georgia waters.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Ocmulgee River?
A big, wide coastal-plain river with sandbars, sweeping bends and long remote stretches between landings. The Ocmulgee Water Trail runs from Macon to the Oconee confluence at Lumber City, where the two rivers form the Altamaha -- at about 200 miles of water trail.
When is the best time to paddle the Ocmulgee River?
Runnable year-round. Spring gives the most reliable water; late summer drops it and exposes the sandbars.
What water level do you need on the Ocmulgee River?
Four USGS gauges bracket the Macon-to-Lumber-City stretch: 02213000 at Macon, 02215000 at US 341 in Hawkinsville, 02215260 at Abbeville, and 02215500 at Lumber City. Check the gauge nearest your put-in before committing to a long segment -- some of these runs are 20 miles with no exit.
Do you need a permit on the Ocmulgee River?
No permit. Several landings allow overnight parking and primitive camping -- Dodge County Landing, Mile Branch Park and James Dykes Memorial Park among them. The two Macon landings are daylight-only.
Where can you camp on the Ocmulgee River?
Sandbars and a handful of landings with improved camping. Mile Branch Park has restrooms and hot showers; James Dykes has tent and RV sites with no fee; Dodge County Landing is primitive and remote.
What are the hazards on the Ocmulgee River?
Long unbroken gaps between landings -- the Dodge's Lake to Mobley Bluff segment is over 20 miles with no exit. Several access roads are dirt and impassable when wet, and Flat Tub's ramp sits in a slough that may be unusable in high water. Strainers, motorboat traffic near town landings, heat and no shade mid-river.