We started at the 431 bridge just North of Lake Wedowee by 6 miles. We ended at the Horseshoe Bend Military Park just North of Lake Martin where they have a really nice launch ramp and it's your only real choice of leaving a vehicle over night. The other option above Lake Martin is Jay Bird Landing which is the local high school drinking spot, a good place to loose the wheels off your rig, and when viewed via Google Maps satellite images, a good place for cutting donuts(apparently). Our trip covered 75-77 river miles best we can tell. The trip lasted three days(Friday-Sunday), and was a physically toiling experience. We are both very fit individuals and after three days, we were whipped. This isn't a lazy river experience. If you cut this trip in half, it would be better for lollygagging around.
A brief breakdown of day one of the trip:
The first three miles of the trip we had decent current and an open river. We hit Lake Wedowee about the 26ish mile marker(The river and Lake Wedowee are both marker on river right every mile). At that point, Lake Wedowee backs up and the current stops completely. From that point you have roughly 6+ hours of continuous paddling to get to the dam, and that is if you have only light headwinds, which we did. Seems as though there was always a headwind, even on the river, the whole time we paddled. This should be expected this time of year and April is the best time of year to canoe the Tallapoosa due to water flow. Any earlier or later and you run into rocks the whole trip(boo). Lake Wedowee is not a very populated lake with long stretches of uninhabited shoreline. We had plenty to look at with Osprey, a Bald Eagle, and the various individuals fishing along the shore. As far as lakes go, Wedowee isn't too bad. Once you get to the Lake Wedowee dam, a portage of a little more then a mile is ahead. On river right, you can carry your canoe up the hill, around the edge of the fence where you will find a small dirt road. Don't go river left, as a bluff is between you and the river. Exiting river right the dirt road is short and leads to the bottom of the dam. The portage is 300yards of up hill and the rest is flat or down hill. While this is a physically demanding portage on distance, the actual carry or carry/drag like we did is easily done in less then an hour. At the bottom of the dam one needs to carefully drag the canoe down the loose rip-rap that leads to the waters edge. They have water release times posted on the internet and if you plan on water being below the dam, I would wait till they were releasing water. If not(like us) you will be dragging a canoe over slippery rocks a half mile down the middle of the river before you find a small creek that enters river right. This should give you enough water to beat/bang your way to more suitable water. We camped Friday night below the dam. It is worth noting that the water level in this particular area can vary wildly, without warning, and quickly. It is your responsibility to camp at an appropriate distance above the water level as to prevent getting wet.
Second day breakdown: The second day was all river and included an array of different challenges. We had a few light rapids, got to use our river navigation skills(bang around on some rocks trying to find the channel), and continue our education in how to paddle a canoe in slack water. There were just enough shoals to keep it interesting during the day but for the most part, 80% or more of the day was considered slack water or it was so slow you couldn't tell a difference. We covered roughly 25 miles on the second day and we quit paddling around 5:30pm so we could set-up camp before dark. It's really hard to find a good spot on the river to camp. Seems like the spot just ahead always looks potentially better then the one you are currently looking at. At some point, one has to just pick a spot and roll with it. Lots to look at on this section of the journey. A few bewildered locals camping on the riverbank and a mix of shanties/houses every so often. The vast majority of the time we were alone however and the river was uninhabited 95% of the way, which we loved. The day ended with my feet in the river and a nice whiskey drink in my hand.
Third day breakdown: Lets be honest time.......we were ready to get to the ramp on the final day. Sitting in a canoe for three straight days paddling, all day, is not exactly a picnic. At this point, my shoulders were screaming, my rear end hurt from sitting on a hard bench seat, and the thought of a cheese burger sounded awesome. We tried to paddle hard enough the first two days to make the final day an easy one and finish the day earlier then our previous days. We actually paddled further then we intended the second day to insure our third day's ease. The third day had more slack water then the previous day, which we hadn't expected. The distance on the map looked significantly shorter, it ended up being as long or longer then the previous days canoe time. It rained on us all day on Sunday which was very much appreciated. It was a pleasant day on the river with the reprieve from the sun. We both got pretty sunburn the first two days despite the fact we were both using 50spf sunscreen. If we do it again, I will be wearing a long sleeve fishing shirt, the pants that you can zip the legs off, and possibly a wide brim hat. Nobody does it perfect the first time and I am no exception. The portion of the river with the best shoals is this last section. There aren't as many of them and they don't last as long as the previous days, but they were the most fun. Once you enter Horseshoe Bend Military Park, you still have a considerable amount of paddling to do before you hit the ramp.
If anyone reads this and plans their own river adventure, please remember that the river can and does rise/fall throughout the day. It happens without warning and the amount depends on the water release schedule posted online for the Lake Wedowee dam. Above Lake Wedowee there are no dams and the river and it's depth is based on rainfall. Below the dam, it's controlled by the power generation schedule till it combines with the Coosa to form the Alabama River just North of Montgomery. The end of April/early May is the best time to do this. The bugs were not a problem this year and the river had plenty of water, which isn't always the case. In drought years, you may be doing a lot of dragging instead of canoeing around the shoals. If you have any canoe skills AT ALL you can do this trip. There really weren't any major obstacles or dangerous rapids to speak of. We barely got splashed while traversing even the worst the river had to give us. The hardest part was learning to read the river, taking the right path, so you didn't have to get out and drag the canoe over the shallow rocks to keep going. Some spots it's unavoidable but if you do a good job of reading the river, the need to do this is a welcome event so you can stretch your legs a bit. In addition, please keep in mind that if you camp on the side of the river, you are considered trespassing. Most of the people on the river don't mind and there are lots of well used camp sites if you choose to use one. As long as you clean up your trash and are a good steward of the river, most people don't care. In other words, don't be that guy. If you park your car at Horseshoe Bend Military Park over night, you need to go to the ranger station to get an overnight pass. It's good for a year and allows the rangers to keep a good check on you/your car. They will or can tow your car if you do not let them know. That boat ramp has restrictions for overnight use and for good reason.
A few pictures of the trip...........
Middle of the river, taking a break, on our second day. That's our prize winning Aluminum Drummond Canoe. Built like a tank and weights as much as one during a portage.
Breaking down camp after our first night. We used dry bags for all our essentials. They worked great.
Eating a few Pork and Beans over the fire. Who doesn't like Pork and Beans???
Took this picture with the rock cliff in the background. This is below Lake Wedowee dam and after this picture, the land features really flatten out.
Taking a break in the middle of the river, stretching the legs, and enjoying the little otter who was playing around just down river.
