A cypress swamp worth a paddle: See bald eagles, floating cabins, cathedral-like trees

Now, there was something you didn’t see every day. After many hours of kayaking through the flooded reaches of a cypress swamp, we now sat staring at an authentic Tennessee riverboat tied to the bank of the river and bobbing in the café au lait-colored current.

Here in the almost geographic center of the Palmetto State was a craft straight out of a Mark Twain novel and, as we sat almost expecting Bret Maverick to step out onto the covered deck, a voice called to us from among the trees on the shore. “She’s a beaut, isn’t she?” We agreed and as we met the owner we received the story of the “Chattanooga Star,” a once-proud riverboat that spent a life plying the waters of the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers.

After a varied career that ended with her serving as a platform for education, she had come to South Carolina to retire. “I steered her all the way from Chattanooga,” Captain Mike Hosemann told us, “down to Mobile Bay and up the Santee to here, where she will get a well-deserved rest.” There on the bank of the upper Santee River, at the entrance to a wide, shallow cypress-filled lake at Low Falls Landing, I could think of no better place to rest.

Low Falls Landing, near the western-sounding community of Lone Star, is one of many boat landings managed by power companies that provide access to Lake Marion and the swamps of the upper Santee River. But the waters and community surrounding the landing make it a destination in and of itself.

Just below the confluence of the Congaree and Wateree rivers in a region formed by the upper reaches of Lake Marion, Low Falls Landing is perched on the edge of the colorfully named Stumphole Swamp. From here, boaters can access the main river channel to fish or travel upriver or down to the main body of the lake. Or you can explore the swampy reaches of Stumphole Swamp and spend a day fishing or enjoying a wild, sylvan realm filled with tall cypress trees and abundant wildlife.

When you visit you will find a watery world that can be experienced easily by novice or expert. The unique topography of the upper lake near the landing forms an approximately 500-acre lake that is mixed open water and flooded forest, separated from the strong current of the nearby river by a strip of solid ground covered in pine and hardwood.

Whether you’re kayaking, boating or fishing, this basin provides a unique, sheltered outdoor experience. You can paddle to the quiet lily pad-covered upper reaches of the lake where bream and bass lurk, or investigate one of the few remaining floating cabins in Stumphole Swamp.

These structures are a Lowcountry oddity that for a generation served as hunting and fishing camps but were eventually outlawed. The few that remain wait to sink into the brown water or eventually be removed. You will be fascinated to discover them among the cathedral-like trees of the swamp.

I have visited the region around Low Falls Landing in the past to launch and journey into the main body of Lake Marion. I recently returned to spend a day kayaking and exploring the swamp near the landing with friends. The late autumn landscape of the swamp was tinted with the rust of cypress leaves turned from green to red for the season. Egrets waded in marshy shallows, red-winged blackbirds crackled and mobbed in a canebrake while a cormorant exploded from its perch to take flight with a comical run across the surface of the water.

Overhead, a bald eagle, one of many nesting in the area, soared in majestic sweeps as if eyeing our entry into his kingdom. After several hours of exploring and lunch on the rocky embankment of the railroad line that crosses the swamp, we paddled downstream a short way to encounter the “Chattanooga Star.” There, as the wintry sun made long shadows on the water and a day in Stumphole Swamp came to a close, I could not help but wish the old girl a truly well-earned rest. She couldn’t have picked a more peaceful place.

Getting there

Stumphole Swamp and the Santee River are very accessible. The public landing at Low Falls is only two hours from the Beaufort area and provides free parking for an easy entry into this world. The swamp and Santee are accessible only by kayak, canoe or small boat. You can take an out-and-back trip or take out at another landing downstream if you arrange a shuttle.

There is no fee for Low Falls landing, which is managed by Santee Cooper Electric Co-op and is open year-round. While at Low Fall’s Landing, visit Dan Daniels’ Low Falls Landing Bait House, just uphill from the landing. Dan’s store is worth a day trip by itself, and he welcomes all visitors. His unique shop is a place for snacks and supplies, as well as tales from the lake and beyond. In addition to friendly chats he provides bait and guide services on the lake. He is located at Low Falls Road in Cameron, S.C. Call him at (803) 823-9074 for info on the swamp, the river or even the elusive swamp ape — a story that he will be glad to share with you if you visit.

This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 4:25 AM.