Little River of Southern Georgia Paddling Guide
By SUZANNE WELANDER
Little River current is moderate to slow, access is good, and the river is suitable for camping. Trips on the Little can be easily combined with floats on the Withlacoochee.
The Little's tannic acid-stained water bubbles play folly over small limestone ledges and between brilliantly contrasting white sandbars along the way to its juncture with the Withlacoochee River southwest of Valdosta. Remote and enticing, the Little is canopied with Ogeechee lime, water elm, and scattered cypress. The river's course is substantially less convoluted than that of similar blackwater streams in the Coastal Plains.
SUMMARY: A paddlling guide to 57.5 miles of the Little River of Southern River of Southern Georgia that may be divided in to shorter segments by using put-ins and take-outs on the INTERACTIVE MAP. Class: I; Length: 57.5 miles; Time, 6 days; Gauge, web, visual; Level, unknown; Gradient: less than 2 feet per mile; Scenery: B+
DESCRIPTION: Runnable below the Cool Springs Bridge west of Lenox in Cook County in winter and spring, the Little is 25 to 30 feet in width and is frequently obstructed by deadfalls. Below the Rountree Bridge west of Sparks, the Little enters the backwaters of a beautiful swamp lake at Reed Bingham State Park. A sort of Okefenokee in miniature with a variety of watery flora, this small lake is definitely worthy of exploration.
Downstream of the dam at the lake's southern end, the Little continues in uninterrupted tranquility except for a short section below the GA 122 bridge where a number of small cabins line the stream. For the remainder of its journey to the Withlacoochee, the Little never exceeds 50 feet wide as it hides bashfully beneath the exotic canopy of the surrounding woodland swamp.
The Little River's level of difficulty is Class I throughout. Numerous deadfalls are a primary hazard to navigation, along with the portage required at the dam at the state park The current is moderate to slow, access is good, and the river is suitable for camping. Trips on the Little can easily be combined with floats on the Withlacoochee.
SHUTTLE: From Valdosta, take GA 133 west of l-75 to its crossing with the Little River; turn left into the Department of Natural Resources Troupville Boat Ramp across the road from the prison. See the map for the locations of upper access points.
GAUGE: The USGS's Web site lists data for the river at Adel. The minimum level is unknown. In order to stay out of the trees, stay off the river during high flood stage in the winter. A visual gauge is painted on the bridge at Morven Road, though guidelines using this gauge are unknown.
MAPS: Omega, Ellenton, Berlin East, Cecil, Hahira West, Hahira East, Valdosta (USGS); Colquitt, Cook, Brooks, Lowndes (County)
