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The Ocmulgee River: A Paddler's Guide
A big, wide coastal-plain river with sandbars, sweeping bends and long remote stretches between landings, from Macon down to Lumber City where it meets the Oconee and forms the Altamaha.
Water level: check USGS 02215500 (Ocmulgee River at Lumber City) before you launch.
The Ocmulgee Water Trail runs from Macon to Lumber City, the longest continuous water trail in Georgia. It is Class I flatwater and runnable year-round, with spring giving the most reliable water. The gaps between landings are long, over 20 miles with no exit in places, and several access roads are dirt and impassable when wet. Camp on sandbars or at the landings with improved sites, and check the gauge and the access road before you commit.
What the Ocmulgee River is like
A big, wide coastal-plain river with sandbars, sweeping bends and long remote stretches between landings. The Ocmulgee Water Trail runs the whole river to the Oconee confluence at Lumber City, where the two rivers form the Altamaha; at 240+ miles it is the longest continuous water trail in Georgia.
Length: About 200 river miles from Macon to the Oconee confluence. The Ocmulgee Water Trail covers the whole river, 240+ miles from Lake Jackson to the confluence.
From St. George, Georgia, where we live: about 230 mi north-northwest to Macon by road; the lower landings near Lumber City are about 117 mi north.
Access and put-ins on the Ocmulgee
The runs we have paddled or that the water trail groups recommend are in the table above, with their mileage. Every landing, the trip plans and the shuttle notes are in the Paddler's Guide, free to read online.
Rentals and shuttles on the Ocmulgee
Operators we have checked against their own websites as open for business. Prices change, so call them for current rates. Nobody we could verify runs shuttles on the lower Ocmulgee around Hawkinsville and Lumber City, so plan your own car spot there.
Ocmulgee Outdoor Expeditions
Shuttles for paddlers with their own boats on the upper Ocmulgee (Juliette, Popes Ferry, Lloyd Shoals, Hwy 83), plus canoes, kayaks and guided tours. Upper river only, roughly Lloyd Shoals Dam to Macon.
(478) 733-3386 · website
Ocmulgee River Retreat
Canoes and kayaks, a shuttle for boat owners, and cabins and camping on the river at Juliette.
(912) 269-1464 · website
Checked 31 August 2026 for the Camping Wilderness Skills app, which carries these operators with the landings and offline maps. Always confirm with the operator.
Best time to paddle the Ocmulgee, and the water level you need
Season: Runnable year-round. Spring gives the most reliable water; late summer drops it and exposes the sandbars.
Water level: Four USGS gauges bracket the Macon-to-Lumber-City stretch: 02213000 at Macon, 02215000 at US 341 in Hawkinsville, 02215260 at Abbeville, and 02215500 at Lumber City. Check the gauge nearest your put-in before committing to a long segment, some of these runs are 20 miles with no exit.
The live reading is at the top of this page, and our river levels page explains what each reading means for a loaded canoe.
Wildlife, hazards and safety on the Ocmulgee
What you will see: Alligators in the lower reaches, deer, hogs, otter, wading birds, hawks and owls; largemouth bass, catfish and redbreast.
Hazards: Long unbroken gaps between landings, the Dodge's Lake to Mobley Bluff segment is over 20 miles with no exit. Several access roads are dirt and impassable when wet, and Flat Tub's ramp sits in a slough that may be unusable in high water. Strainers, motorboat traffic near town landings, heat and no shade mid-river.
From our own trips: We put in at Lumber City on May 15th with the river up since Sunday, running swift and brown and muddy, nothing like the clear blackwater we know. High water changes everything: the lines, the hazards and the places you thought were safe. Around five o'clock we found a place, unloaded the bags and picked the tent spot, and something just felt eerie. We didn't argue with it. We loaded back up and went down another mile or so to a sand line under the trees with a beautiful view, and that was home. Next morning we paddled on to where the Ocmulgee meets the Oconee and the Altamaha begins. Trust your gut on a campsite.
Permits and camping on the Ocmulgee
Permits: No permit. Several landings allow overnight camping, James Dykes Memorial Park, Mile Branch Park, Sandy Hammock and Mobley Bluff among them. The two Macon landings are daylight-only.
Camping: Sandbars and a handful of landings with improved camping. Mile Branch Park has restrooms and hot showers; James Dykes has tent and RV sites with no fee; Dodge County Landing is remote and lists no camping.
Our trips on the Ocmulgee
We have run this water and filmed it. Watch to see the real conditions: the bends, the sandbars, the landings, and the river as it actually is.
Go deeper
River levels
The USGS gauge for every river we paddle, and what the reading actually means for a loaded canoe.
The Canoe Camping Guide
Our step-by-step guidebook on planning, packing, and running multi-day river trips. Everything behind an expedition on the Ocmulgee River.
Camping Wilderness Skills
The community, courses, and app behind every trip we run. Trade notes with other paddlers who run these rivers. A hobby community on Skool.
Ocmulgee River expedition films
See the conditions and the films we made on this river.
Trips, unpacked
Browse the Field Notes for the decisions, gear, and lessons behind real blackwater trips.
Free Paddler's Guide
Get the complete river-planning guide for the Okefenokee and Southeast Georgia waters.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ocmulgee River like to paddle?
A big, wide coastal-plain river with sandbars, sweeping bends and long remote stretches between landings. The Ocmulgee Water Trail runs the whole river to the Oconee confluence at Lumber City, where the two rivers form the Altamaha; at 240+ miles it is the longest continuous water trail in Georgia. About 200 river miles from Macon to the Oconee confluence. The Ocmulgee Water Trail covers the whole river, 240+ miles from Lake Jackson to the confluence.
What water level do you need to paddle the Ocmulgee River?
Four USGS gauges bracket the Macon-to-Lumber-City stretch: 02213000 at Macon, 02215000 at US 341 in Hawkinsville, 02215260 at Abbeville, and 02215500 at Lumber City. Check the gauge nearest your put-in before committing to a long segment, some of these runs are 20 miles with no exit.
When is the best time to paddle the Ocmulgee River?
Runnable year-round. Spring gives the most reliable water; late summer drops it and exposes the sandbars.
Can you camp on the Ocmulgee River, and do you need a permit?
No permit. Several landings allow overnight camping, James Dykes Memorial Park, Mile Branch Park, Sandy Hammock and Mobley Bluff among them. The two Macon landings are daylight-only. Sandbars and a handful of landings with improved camping. Mile Branch Park has restrooms and hot showers; James Dykes has tent and RV sites with no fee; Dodge County Landing is remote and lists no camping.
What are the hazards on the Ocmulgee River?
Long unbroken gaps between landings, the Dodge's Lake to Mobley Bluff segment is over 20 miles with no exit. Several access roads are dirt and impassable when wet, and Flat Tub's ramp sits in a slough that may be unusable in high water. Strainers, motorboat traffic near town landings, heat and no shade mid-river.