Encounter history and nature with a kayak trip on the Edisto River past Parker’s Ferry

The Edisto River has many moods. It can be dark and furious during a Lowcountry storm, when the Spanish moss is blown horizontal by the wind and the black waters dance with rain. It can show quiet beauty as its waters mirror the leaves of fall and bare branches of winter. And it can rest with summertime mellowness as it makes its lazy way to the sea.

Early spring on the Edisto is a time when it sparkles with joy beneath pale sunshine and flowery blooms, and it is another nice season to be on the water.

Sullivan’s Ferry Landing is off U.S. 17A near Cottageville and is a great place to begin a kayak or boating trip on the Edisto.

An easy destination is Martin’s Landing, located about 10 river miles downstream near Jacksonboro. This route offers spectacular opportunities to explore swampy “oxbow” lakes and creeks, as well as enjoy a little history along the way.

After you put in at the landing in the small riverside community of Sullivan’s Ferry, you will begin a descent into the wild. Low water in summer months will reveal golden sandbars and fallen trees, while the high water after spring freshet will allow you to detour into the maze of bottomland creeks, where cypress knee cathedrals echo the songs of the “tisk-tisk” of the prothonotary warbler and the “who-cooks-for-you” of the barred owl.

With few river houses and numerous creeks and swampy reaches, this section of the Edisto offers a primeval adventure.

About two-thirds of the way, you will pass the site of old Parker’s Ferry. Here, where a sandy beach is overhung with Spanish moss-covered limbs, a vital river crossing once served commerce during colonial times.

On a summer evening in 1780, Parker’s Ferry was the site of an incredible patriot victory during the Revolutionary War. Furious at the recent execution of Col. Isaac Hayne by the British, General Francis Marion, the famous “Swamp Fox” of the Lowcountry, quietly made his way south of the Edisto River with his men. At Parker’s Ferry, Marion’s force lay hid in the swamps along the causeway to the river. There, they waited for a fight.

British forces encamped near Jacksonboro were alerted to their presence and baited by Marion into rashly charging down the causeway in pursuit. As British Major Thomas Fraser and his dragoons charged after, Marion’s hidden patriots opened fire, scattering the British in confusion — with an un-horsed Fraser nearly trampled by his horsemen as they panicked.

Marion and his men victoriously slipped into the deep swamps along the Edisto and lived to fight another day.

Not far below Parker’s Ferry, you will come at last to Martin’s Landing. Here you will find a large parking area and serviceable ramp to allow you easy access even during the busiest boating seasons.

I recently paddled from Sullivan’s Ferry to Martin’s Landing with a group of friends. As the current carries you along the Edisto, you can spot an abundance of wildlife. Egrets and heron haunt the swampy shallows, songbirds (including prothonotary warblers) fill the trees with color and noise, and terrapin, gar and even the elusive alligator can be spotted in the water.

The river is filled with redbreast bream, catfish and bass, making this a popular as a destination for anglers.

Getting there

Sullivan’s Ferry is located at the end of Sullivan’s Ferry Road, approximately three miles from Cottageville just off U.S. 17A. Martin’s Landing is located off Parker’s Ferry Road on the north side of the river. From U.S. 17, turn left onto Parker’s Ferry and travel 6.3 miles to Martin’s Landing Road.

Both landings are managed by SCDNR and are well-maintained. There are no facilities, so pack accordingly. The river in this section is swift when the water is up but very easy to manage, despite a few areas of overhang and snags. Careful preparation and good company will ensure you have a safe, enjoyable day on the water.

For more information, visit the Edisto River Canoe and Kayak Trail site at ercktrail.org, or obtain a detailed map at www.dnr.sc.gov/water/river/edisto-guide.html.