On Saturday, July 16, 2022, the “Yakking the River” event took place and hundreds of paddlers floated down the Wateree RIver from the Wateree Lake Dam to the Camden Environmental Park (175 Bramblewood Plantation Rd, Camden, SC) which lies on the Wateree between Highway 1 and I-20.
The annual event is hosted and managed by Kershaw County Parks and Recreation. Participants drop their kayaks at Lugoff Landing (1600 Tail Race Rd, Lugoff, SC) then drop their vehicles at Camden Environmental Park. School buses shuttle paddlers from the Environmental Park to the dam.
The entire journey is about 8 miles and takes 3-4 hours. The local fire service was on hand to assist paddlers, especially a particular set of rapids that turned a few paddlers over. Safer pathways exist many enjoy the challenges provide by the rapids.
