2-Day: Fargo → Big Shoals (~26 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: tortilla wraps, trail mix. Dinner: foil-packet meal, s'mores. Day 2 breakfast: pancakes.
Lunch: crackers & peanut butter. Snacks: protein bars, jerky.
Water
1 gallon per person per day; treat spring water only if you know the source. Confirm the White Springs gauge before committing to Big Shoals.
Check the gauge before you commit
USGS 02315500 (White Springs) is the reference for BIG SHOALS: the drop is a clean run at roughly 55–65 ft on that gauge, washes out above ~65 ft, and gets rocky and technical below ~55 ft — a marked portage trail is always there, and you should portage at low water or if you're not solid in Class III. Downstream, use USGS 02319500 (Ellaville / Suwannee River SP) and USGS 02320500 (Branford; period-of-record mean ≈7,400 cfs — highest in March, lowest in Nov). Live stages: the SRWMD portal at mysuwanneeriver.org.
Permits and access
No river-wide permit. River-camp platforms and state-park sites are reserved through the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail / Florida State Parks. 2026 closures: Woods Ferry and Holton Creek River Camps and the Suwannee River SP campground.
Camping
Screened river-camp platforms (Woods Ferry, Holton Creek — both closed for 2026), state parks (Suwannee River SP, Lafayette Blue, Fanning), and sandbars. Reserve platforms ahead.
Hazards on this run
Big Shoals (Class III) — scout or portage; limestone outcrops and strainers; motorboats near ramps and springs; flood current after heavy rain; changing camp closures.
Best season for this trip
Late fall through spring. Winter brings the best chance of manatees downstream; summer thunderstorms can spike levels fast.
Shuttle and outfitters
American Canoe Adventures (White Springs) and local liveries run shuttles on the upper river; state parks along the Wilderness Trail rent and shuttle seasonally.
Field note
Big Shoals is the real deal — Florida's only Class III, and it does not care that the rest of the Suwannee is a gentle float. Get out and look at it.
There's a portage trail for a reason, and at low water the rocks are exposed and mean. The spring-fed lower river below White Springs is the reward: gin-clear boils feeding tea-black water.
How many days is the Suwannee River trip?
2-Day: Fargo → Big Shoals (~26 mi). The plan runs 2 days.
How much water do you need on the Suwannee River?
1 gallon per person per day; treat spring water only if you know the source. Confirm the White Springs gauge before committing to Big Shoals.
Do you need a permit for this Suwannee River trip?
No river-wide permit. River-camp platforms and state-park sites are reserved through the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail / Florida State Parks. 2026 closures: Woods Ferry and Holton Creek River Camps and the Suwannee River SP campground.
What gauge should you check before this trip?
USGS 02315500 (White Springs) is the reference for BIG SHOALS: the drop is a clean run at roughly 55–65 ft on that gauge, washes out above ~65 ft, and gets rocky and technical below ~55 ft — a marked portage trail is always there, and you should portage at low water or if you're not solid in Class III. Downstream, use USGS 02319500 (Ellaville / Suwannee River SP) and USGS 02320500 (Branford; period-of-record mean ≈7,400 cfs — highest in March, lowest in Nov). Live stages: the SRWMD portal at mysuwanneeriver.org.
What are the hazards on this run?
Big Shoals (Class III) — scout or portage; limestone outcrops and strainers; motorboats near ramps and springs; flood current after heavy rain; changing camp closures.
Go deeper
The Suwannee 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.