2-Day: Ava Strickland → Deep Bend (~12 mi)
A trip plan from the Blackwater Paddler’s Guide. Day by day, what we eat, what we carry, and what to check before you drive.
Day by day
Food plan
Day 1 lunch: wraps & trail mix. Dinner: foil-packet meal, s'mores. Day 2 breakfast: oatmeal, coffee.
Lunch: tuna wraps. Snacks: protein bars, jerky.
Water
1 gallon per person per day. No refill — bring it all.
Check the gauge before you commit
Two gauges, per the Satilla Riverkeeper: USGS 02226500 (near Waycross) governs the upper landings — ideal paddling 6–10 ft, flood 17 ft; USGS 02228000 (near Atkinson) governs the lower landings — ideal 4–9 ft depending on section, flood 13 ft. Never launch at flood; the Satilla loses its sandbars and gains dangerous current fast.
Permits and access
No permit. Primitive camping is customary on high sandbars — camp above the waterline and pack out everything.
Camping
Sandbars are the campsites — pick a high one, well above the current water level, and leave no trace.
Hazards on this run
Strainers, shifting or hidden sandbars, flood current, heat, remoteness, alligators, and private frontage. Watch for snakes and ticks on the bars — wear long pants.
Best season for this trip
Winter and spring give the most dependable water. Summer exposes broad sandbars but can run shallow.
Shuttle and outfitters
No river-wide livery — arrange your own shuttle between landings. The Satilla Riverkeeper publishes the current landing list and levels.
Field note
The Satilla is the sandbar river. In normal water it's about as friendly as blackwater gets — but check the Riverkeeper's gauge ranges before you go, because when it floods it turns into a different animal and the bars you'd camp on vanish. Camp high.
How many days is the Satilla River trip?
2-Day: Ava Strickland → Deep Bend (~12 mi). The plan runs 2 days.
How much water do you need on the Satilla River?
1 gallon per person per day. No refill — bring it all.
Do you need a permit for this Satilla River trip?
No permit. Primitive camping is customary on high sandbars — camp above the waterline and pack out everything.
What gauge should you check before this trip?
Two gauges, per the Satilla Riverkeeper: USGS 02226500 (near Waycross) governs the upper landings — ideal paddling 6–10 ft, flood 17 ft; USGS 02228000 (near Atkinson) governs the lower landings — ideal 4–9 ft depending on section, flood 13 ft. Never launch at flood; the Satilla loses its sandbars and gains dangerous current fast.
What are the hazards on this run?
Strainers, shifting or hidden sandbars, flood current, heat, remoteness, alligators, and private frontage. Watch for snakes and ticks on the bars — wear long pants.
Go deeper
The Satilla River river guide has the runs, access and conditions in full. The free Paddler’s Guide covers seventeen rivers. Watch the films from this water.