Georgia Wilderness Society
Adventures on the Oconee River, Again
April 16 - 18, 2025
Sometimes you get lucky, even when scheduling those tricky spring canoeing trips. Two weeks earlier and the thick pollen would have choked us. A week earlier and the Oconee was at its highest level in two years, covering the boat ramps completely. A week later and high temps and thunderstorms would have wilted us. But five GWS surviving river rats had three near perfect days April 16-18 for a 42-mile trip on the Oconee from Milledgeville to Balls Ferry.
The water dropped amazingly fast from the prior week’s floods. The level was high enough for easy paddling and made passable the usually tricky mud and sand flats, but low enough to expose a good choice of sand bars for camping. Daytime temps were in the seventies except for the last day when we got off the water before it was really hot. We even had an occasional tailwind! Nights were cool with low humidity.
The banks were covered with late spring blooms of chinaberry, privet, brambles, and an occasional surviving dogwood. The water was stained but clear enough for us to pick up a dozen or so tennis ball size pottery shards on and around a single midriver gravel bar, with interesting shapes and patterns to research.
Sightings included deer, alligators, bald eagle, and the usual wading and diving birds. Paddlers were Curt and Irene Cole, and Grant, Everett and Joe Mangum (trip leader).
