2-Day Home Run: St. George → Traders Hill (~22 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: turkey wraps, trail mix. Dinner: foil-packet potatoes & sausage, s'mores. Day 2 breakfast: pancakes, coffee.
Lunch: crackers & peanut butter. Snacks: protein bars, dried fruit, jerky.
Water
1 gallon per person per day. No treated refill points — bring it all.
Check the gauge before you commit
USGS 02231000 — St. Marys River near Macclenny, FL. Blackwater and rain-driven, so read the stage, the trend after rain, and the flood forecast together rather than any one number.
The middle course carries paddling water most of the year; the upper river above Macclenny gets bony in a dry summer. Never launch at flood.
Permits and access
No river permit. Primitive camping on high sandbars (camp above the waterline) and at Traders Hill Recreation Area (Charlton County). Private frontage stays private.
Camping
Elevated sandbars along the middle river; Traders Hill Recreation Area has amenities. Camp above the high-water line.
Hazards on this run
Submerged logs and strainers, shifting sandbars, heat and remoteness, and — on the lower reach near St. Marys — tidal current and wind. Carry a whistle and backup light; cell service is limited.
Best season for this trip
Runnable most of the year in the middle course; late fall through spring gives the most dependable water. The upper river drops low in summer droughts.
Shuttle and outfitters
St. Marys River Outfitters / Scotts Landing · 904-845-4440 (rentals & shuttle).
Field note
This is home water. We put in at St.
George and run to Traders Hill in two easy days, camping on a high sandbar the first night. Watch the outside of the bends for strainers, and don't trust a sandbar that's barely above the water — the river can come up overnight after rain upstream.
How many days is the St. Marys River trip?
2-Day Home Run: St. George → Traders Hill (~22 mi). The plan runs 2 days.
How much water do you need on the St. Marys River?
1 gallon per person per day. No treated refill points — bring it all.
Do you need a permit for this St. Marys River trip?
No river permit. Primitive camping on high sandbars (camp above the waterline) and at Traders Hill Recreation Area (Charlton County). Private frontage stays private.
What gauge should you check before this trip?
USGS 02231000 — St. Marys River near Macclenny, FL. Blackwater and rain-driven, so read the stage, the trend after rain, and the flood forecast together rather than any one number. The middle course carries paddling water most of the year; the upper river above Macclenny gets bony in a dry summer. Never launch at flood.
What are the hazards on this run?
Submerged logs and strainers, shifting sandbars, heat and remoteness, and — on the lower reach near St. Marys — tidal current and wind. Carry a whistle and backup light; cell service is limited.
Go deeper
The St. Marys 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.