"The Apalachicola River is one of the most beautiful streams of North America, formed at the northern border of Florida by the junction of the Chattahoutchie and the Flint River; it crosses, making quite numerous turns, a region of great fertility, and empties near the town of Apalachicola." The Comte de Castelnau, 1837 Click to Play Video This early description of the 105-mile Apalachicola River still holds true today. From its formation at the Jim Woodruff Dam near the Georgia border, the river is undammed and largely wild, flowing past large tracts of public and protected lands. High bluffs, abundant wildlife, and rare animals and plants make this river among the most unique in Florida, and at the right water conditions, large sandbars make for ideal primitive campsites. This website will provide information about the basic access points and other amenities found along the river that can contribute to a successful paddling trip. Please note that the river can have the fastest current in the state, so it is not recommended for beginners. Mile markers along the shores, decreasing from 106 at the dam to 0 in Apalachicola, provide helpful navigational guides. Barge traffic and dredging are largely a thing of the past, but buoys, training dikes and large sand mounds are still visible. Numerous side streams, many of which are listed here, are worthy of exploration. Devon Creek, for example, (off Owl Creek) is a scenic watery tunnel beneath a thick canopy of cypress of tupelo gum trees. One recommended side trip is to explore the Chipola River Dead Lakes area. This is a wide swampy area of both dead and living cypress trees originally formed by a naturally occurring levee that backed up the Chipola River. The area has stunning primeval beauty. From the Apalachicola River, it can be reached by taking the Chipola River cutoff just after Gaskin Park in Wewahitchka. After three miles, take a right onto the main channel of the Chipola River. A compass and/or GPS is recommended if venturing away from the main channel. GPS coordinates are provided in the Blueway Guide if paddlers wish to stay at the Dead Lakes Sportsman's Lodge (along the Chipola Cutoff just before the Chipola River on the right) or at the Dead Lakes Park Campground (along a side channel west of the main Dead Lakes area about a mile past the Highway 22 Bridge). While most of the ramps, campsites and points of interest in the data book can be easily spotted along the main Apalachicola River channel, GPS is recommended for finding the entrance to Owl Creek (mile 22) if you want to paddle the 1.5 miles to the Hickory Landing Campground. There are two creek entrances just before Owl Creek-Kennedy and Brushy Creeks-that can cause confusion. Most sandbars are accessible for camping/rest stops and are within the public domain, although access to land beyond the ordinary high water mark might not be allowed. Please respect private property rights and regulations pertaining to lands managed by Torreya State Park and the Nature Conservancy where water access is not allowed. Water Levels: During low to moderate water levels, sandbars for rest stops and primitive campsites are numerous until Sand Mountain (mile 36), whereupon they are less prevalent as the ever-widening river flows past a more swampy floodplain. Most sandbars are under water during high water conditions. The USGS river gauge at Chattahoochee should be below 44 feet for best paddling and camping conditions. The USGS gauge near Sumatra should be below 5.5 feet for best paddling and camping conditions. Dead Lakes: Photo by David Moynahan. Apalachicola River: Photo by David Moynahan.