FOR KIDS
The St. Marys River: A Paddler's Guide
A winding blackwater river that draws the line between two states. The St. Marys carries tannin-dark water past bright sandbars from the edge of the Okefenokee to the Atlantic.
Water level: check USGS 02231000 (St. Marys River near Macclenny) before you launch.
The St. Marys is a blackwater river that forms much of the Georgia-Florida line. It rises near the Okefenokee Swamp and winds east to the Atlantic near the town of St. Marys. Expect white sandbars for camping, tannin-stained water, redbreast and catfish fishing, and tidal lower reaches near the coast. Public access comes from landings such as Trader's Hill and various bridges. Spring and fall bring the best conditions; always check water levels and confirm access before you go.
What the St. Marys River is like
The signature home river, it runs right past St. George. Tea-colored water, white sugar-sand bars, cypress and hardwood banks, remote through much of its middle course.
Length: ~130 mi total, forming the Georgia–Florida line from the Okefenokee to the Atlantic.
From St. George, Georgia, where we live: Home river, launches right at St. George; runs to the coast ~45 mi east by road.
Access and put-ins on the St. Marys
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 St. Marys
Operators we have checked against their own websites as open for business. Prices change, so call them for current rates. We could find only one working operator that serves the St. Marys; the old outpost near Hilliard that ran the Traders Hill shuttle no longer has a working website.
Okefenokee & Satilla Expeditions
Canoes and single and tandem kayaks, camping gear on request. A mobile shuttle across southeast Georgia that brings boats and paddlers to the launch or the takeout, with your boats or theirs, three paddlers per run. They do not move your vehicle.
(912) 521-4331 · 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 St. Marys, and the water level you need
Season: Runnable most of the year in the middle course. Late winter into early spring and late summer give the most dependable water; May, June and November run lowest, and the upper river drops low in a dry spell.
Water level: USGS 02231000, St. Marys River near Macclenny, FL, for flow, and NWS forecast point SMTG1, St. Marys River at Traders Hill (water.noaa.gov/gauges/SMTG1) for stage at the takeout; USGS 02231175 at Traders Hill still reports stage live (its flow record ended in 2024). The tide reaches up to Traders Hill and is stronger below Camp Pinckney. Blackwater and rain-driven, so read the stage, the trend after rain and the NWS flood forecast together rather than any one number. Macclenny's action stage is 10 ft and flood stage 12 ft. The middle course runs most of the year; May, June and November run lowest. USGS 02228500, North Prong at Moniac covers the swamp outflow at the top of the run.
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 St. Marys
What you will see: Bass, catfish and bream; Florida DEP says the river holds healthy numbers.
Hazards: Submerged logs and strainers, shifting sandbars, heat and remoteness, and, on the lower reach near St. Marys, tidal current and wind. Carry a whistle and backup light; cell service is limited.
From our own trips: This is home water. We put in at St. George and run to Traders Hill in two easy days, camping on a high sandbar the first night. Watch the outside of the bends for strainers, and don't trust a sandbar that's barely above the water, the river can come up overnight after rain upstream.
Permits and camping on the St. Marys
Permits: No river permit is published. Sandbar camping is common on the middle river, and Traders Hill Recreation Area (Charlton County) has a campground. Banks are usually private, so camp only where you have the right to, above the waterline.
Camping: Elevated sandbars along the middle river; Traders Hill Recreation Area has amenities. Camp above the high-water line.
Our trips on the St. Marys
We have documented our own runs on the St. Marys. Watch the expeditions to see the real conditions: the bends, the deadfall, the white sandbar camps, and the water as it actually is.
Field notes from the St. Marys
Every trip we have filmed on this river, written up: what the water was doing, where we camped, and what we would do differently.
- A Blue Cat Broke Tina's Pole
- We Camped Where an 8 Foot Gator Slid In
- Hit a Stump a Quarter Mile In
- We Had to Turn Back When the Okefenokee Ran Too Low
- Tina Left Supper in the Fridge at Home
- A 19 Fish Stringer
- The River Rose Overnight — Almost Took the Canoe
- Letting the River Set the Pace
- What a Real Holiday Weekend Looks Like
- Swimming and Cooking in the Storm
- Spaces Barely Wider Than the Boat
- Calling Fish Before They Bit
- Blackwater Anthem: A Life Spent on Water
- The Night We Flipped the Boat Right Here
- Deer Sausage Foil Packs on the Coals
- Deer Sausage Jambalaya on a One-Strike Fire
- A Fish Took My Brand New Rod
- We Learned Fast
Go deeper
3 Brothers Landing
Two riverfront cabins on the St. Marys at Folkston, with a private boat ramp. The whole property goes to one party.
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 blackwater canoe trips. Everything behind an expedition like the St. Marys.
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.
St. Marys expedition films
See the bends, deadfall, sandbar camps, and conditions in 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.
Plan the trip: St. Marys 2-Day: St. George to Traders Hill, 22 Miles. Day by day, with food, water, gauge and permit notes.
Rivers Nearby
Okefenokee
Cypress labyrinth, high water, total isolation.
To the GulfSuwannee
White sand banks, black current, gator country.
Wild & tightSatilla
Downed trees, portages, camps you earn.
Georgia's widestAltamaha
Big water, tiny islands, the river nobody films.
Spring-fed & clearWithlacoochee
Blackwater that turns clear as glass over the springs.
Sinks & risesAlapaha
Blackwater that vanishes underground, then rises again.
Frequently asked questions
What is the St. Marys River like to paddle?
The signature home river, it runs right past St. George. Tea-colored water, white sugar-sand bars, cypress and hardwood banks, remote through much of its middle course. ~130 mi total, forming the Georgia–Florida line from the Okefenokee to the Atlantic.
What water level do you need to paddle the St. Marys River?
USGS 02231000, St. Marys River near Macclenny, FL, for flow, and NWS forecast point SMTG1, St. Marys River at Traders Hill (water.noaa.gov/gauges/SMTG1) for stage at the takeout; USGS 02231175 at Traders Hill still reports stage live (its flow record ended in 2024). The tide reaches up to Traders Hill and is stronger below Camp Pinckney. Blackwater and rain-driven, so read the stage, the trend after rain and the NWS flood forecast together rather than any one number. Macclenny's action stage is 10 ft and flood stage 12 ft. The middle course runs most of the year; May, June and November run lowest. USGS 02228500, North Prong at Moniac covers the swamp outflow at the top of the run.
When is the best time to paddle the St. Marys River?
Runnable most of the year in the middle course. Late winter into early spring and late summer give the most dependable water; May, June and November run lowest, and the upper river drops low in a dry spell.
Can you camp on the St. Marys River, and do you need a permit?
No river permit is published. Sandbar camping is common on the middle river, and Traders Hill Recreation Area (Charlton County) has a campground. Banks are usually private, so camp only where you have the right to, above the waterline. Elevated sandbars along the middle river; Traders Hill Recreation Area has amenities. Camp above the high-water line.
What are the hazards on the St. Marys River?
Submerged logs and strainers, shifting sandbars, heat and remoteness, and, on the lower reach near St. Marys, tidal current and wind. Carry a whistle and backup light; cell service is limited.