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Eastatoe Creek, Lower Gorge, SC

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Mill Creek to Dug Mountain Access (Lower Eastatoe)

Class II-III(V)
2 Miles
Avg Gradient 60 fpm
Max Gradient 60 fpm

Kayak Killer - Lower Eastatoe


Kayak Killer - Lower Eastatoe
Photo by Kevin Miller taken 5/6/03

Gauge Information

Eastatoe Creek, Lower Gorge
low
5
7/4 16:30

Min Sug. Level:  75 cfs*

River Description

Directions:  From Keowee Toxaway State Park, go north on SC11.  In about 3.5 miles, turn left on Roy F Jones Hwy.  The take-out is about 1.2 miles down this road at the Dug Mountain Access Area, after passing over the bridge over Eastatoee Creek.

Shuttle Directions:  Continue down Roy F Jones Hwy until it ends.  Turn right on Cleo Chapman Hwy.  Eventually, Cleo Chapman Hwy will parallel the river.  After passing over Mill Creek, Mill Creek Rd enters from the left.  Park in the road right-of-way between Cleo Chapman Hwy and Eastatoe Creek.

Local boater Brett Dalton has this to say "At the end of the valley "proper" (about 1/2 mile below Mill Creek and Mill Creek Road on Cleo Chapman Highway), the river enters the lower gorge. It begins with a pretty good bang when the water is up. There is one very constricted undercut slide that could be a killer in a kayak. Higher water is much better at this rapid. However at very high levels the water constricts against an undercut rock wall and shoots straight up in the air for 15 or 20 feet. At high water there are very few boulders or technical maneuvers required. Of course it is narrow and requires frequent maneuvering, just no must make ferries or anything. (After the first rapid this run is a nonstop flush of class III whitewater. There is one large slide but the remainder of the run is wave trains and big holes. Will Reeves describing a high water run).

This excitement continues for several miles until you come to Dug Mountain Bridge on Roy F. Jones Highway. This is the best takeout as there is a designated parking area.

Below Dug Mountain Bridge there are a few more minor slides and good currents for 1/2 mile or so. Following this initial 1/2 mile, the river becomes very gentle again as it approaches Lake Keowee. Near where the river enters Lake Keowee, Little Eastatoee Creek comes in from the left. The river never really "dumps" in the lake, it almost becomes the lake. There was a take out on the side of the road on Cleo Chapman Highway, but now the Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards exists and parking on the road is no longer an option. You pretty much have to paddle all the way over to HW 11 bridge. The section of the creek below Dug Mountain Bridge is no longer worth paddling because of the development and the long long paddle around the shore of Keowee."

I would imagine that at low water this run is a class II creek with one big class IV+ rapid involving a big undercut and ledge.

StreamTeam Status: verified
Last Updated: 2006-03-06 14:31:39

Search Results

Photos/Videos 1- of 12

Kayak Killer - Lower Eastatoe


Kayak Killer - Lower Eastatoe  Lower Eastatoe SC
(36.23KB .jpeg)

Lower Eastatoe


Lower Eastatoe  Lower Eastatoe SC
(122.22KB .jpeg)

Lower Eastatoe


Lower Eastatoe  Lower Eastatoe SC
(36.74KB .jpeg)

Lower Eastatoe slide


Lower Eastatoe slide  Eastatoe (lower gorge) SC
(21.54KB .jpeg)

Below "Kayak Killer"


Below "Kayak Killer"  Eastatoe (lower) SC
(148.45KB .jpeg)

Eastatoe Gorge


Eastatoe Gorge  Eastatoe SC
(621.43KB .jpeg)

Kayak Killer


Kayak Killer  Eastatoe SC
(548.60KB .jpeg)

Bottom of the Killer


Bottom of the Killer  Eastatoe SC
(355.95KB .jpeg)

Somewhere on the Eastatoe


Somewhere on the Eastatoe  Eastatoe SC
(193.44KB .jpeg)

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Gauge

Gauge Description:

This little known run requires much less water than its popularity would indicate. No gauge exists on the river but we are attempting to link it to Eighteen mile creek. The guage reading is an approximation so make comments on teh web site if it is accurate.

Eighteen Mile Ck ab Pendelton [ SC ]

Current Conditions

Stage Flow Updated
2.21 4.5 7/4 16:30

Station Graphs


Linked Reaches

Search Results

Level Legend: Running Below Minimum Recommended Flow Above Maximum Recommended Flow Unknown
Descriptions of reaches with River Name in bold have been verified by a regional StreamTeam member.

State River Name/Section Class Level Rel. Level Updated
SC Brasstown Creek— Brasstown Road to Yonah Lake V+ 5 cfs   low 7/4 16:30
SC Carrick Creek— Green Creek Conf. to Pinnacle Lake III 5 cfs*   low 7/4 16:30
SC Coneross Creek— SC 59 to Coneross Hydro Plant Park II-III(IV) 5 cfs*   low 7/4 16:30
SC Double Branch— US 178 to State Rd 88 III 5 cfs   low 7/4 16:30
SC Eastatoe Creek, Lower Gorge— Mill Creek to Dug Mountain Access II-III(V) 5 cfs*   low 7/4 16:30
SC Eighteenmile Creek— Nettles Park to US 76 I(II) 5 cfs   low 7/4 16:30
SC Little Eastatoe— Dirt road off Hwy 11 to Hwy 11 bridge III-IV 5 cfs*   low 7/4 16:30
SC Oconee Creek— Hwy 11 to Little River II-III 5 cfs*   low 7/4 16:30
SC Sixmile Creek— Jones Mill Rd. to Lake Issaqueena II-III 5 cfs   low 7/4 16:30
SC Snow— Snow Creek Rd. to Lake Hartwell I-III 5 cfs   low 7/4 16:30
SC Todd Creek— Brookbend Rd. to Lake Hartwell IV+ 5 cfs   low 7/4 16:30

Station Description

AW Gauge ID:882
USGS Station:02186699
HUC:03060101
Latitude:34.6589
Longitude:-82.7989
Class:-1

WXPort

News





icon of message No guide books for this stream. If you know of a book that describes this stream please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run.

User Comments

2007-02-25 08:11:05 (495 days ago)
Adam HackenbergDetails
Parking at the fishermen's access at the second power line going north on Granny Gear Rd. beats the heck out of paddling the first .8 or so of tree infested flat water (in Jan. of 06 I had to portage about 6 trees before the gorge). Its around a .4 mi hike in from the road. In Feb of 07 I portaged 1 tree in the gorge, which was passable if you were really determined.
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Rapid Summary

Mile Rapid Name Class Features (Legend)
1.0Kayak Killer5.0Portage Hazard Photo
1.3slideIIIPhoto
1.8the last rapidIIPhoto

Rapid Descriptions

Kayak Killer (Class 5.0, Mile 1.0)

Kayak Killer - Lower Eastatoe

Kayak Killer - Lower Eastatoe
Photo by Kevin Miller taken 5/6/03

At high water this rapid is a real class V drop with almost half the river going up into a big undercut on river left and then flowing into a huge hole.

slide (Class III, Mile 1.3)

Lower Eastatoe slide

Lower Eastatoe slide
Photo of Eric Paysen by Will Reeves taken 5/6/03 @ high water

After the big rapid the river picks up speed and slowly builds up to a ledge, which at high water forms a big hole. The hole looks much more dangerous than it really is.

the last rapid (Class II, Mile 1.8)

Lower Eastatoe

Lower Eastatoe
Photo of Kevin Miller by Will Reeves taken 5/6/03

Most of the run has rapid like this one.


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EPA Surf This Watershed

USGS Page for This Station

NPS SC Rivers Inventory


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