Most of the land within the ACE Basin is protected either through conservation easement, wildlife refuge, federal ownership, or whatever. The eponymous rivers are the Ashepoo River (middle), Combahee River (southernmost), and Edisto River (northernmost).
While not within the ACE Basin, this map includes the upper reaches of the three rivers and their tributaries. Until I visit all of these landings, I'm sure that mistakes abound.
Launch at Willtown Bluff Landing and paddle the Edisto River upriver to Penny Creek, then paddle up Penny Creek to Penny Creek Landing. This seven mile trip can be paddled either direction, preferrably with the tide.
The Edisto River is straight and wide near Willtown, so be prepared for choppy water on windy days.
Just before 10am, this March 9, 2008 morning, the temperature struggled to climb above 40 degrees as we launched from Willtown Bluff. Turning upriver, we paddled into the face of a 15 mph wind blowing down the river. Because the Edisto is wide and the straight, there was marginal white caps.
Ten paddlers from the Lowcountry Paddlers joined this club trip led by Bill & Michelle. About 30 minutes upriver we were able to paddle in the lee of the left bank.
This trip is just a tad over seven miles and we made it to Penny Creek Landing in time for lunch. We rode the tide all the way from Willtown to the Penny Creek Landing.
More photos at Edisto River: Willtown Bluff to Penny Creek
On a crisp February morning, I met up with five other Palmetto Paddlers at Claude's Landing near Bamsberg, SC. Besides exploring the North Fork Edisto River, we wanted to paddle past the Binnickers Bridge Landing.
The new owner of the surrounding land claimed in 2006 that he owned the landing even though it has been under state and county maintenance for decades. Read more in The Times and Democrat...
<<--- Click the photo to view album.
According to the discharge guage near Denmark, SC, the river was flowing at about 60% of normal with a guage height of 5.75 feet. A swift current carried us downstream where we encountered no real obstacles. Below the trestle we hit a blocked passage but backtracked less than 100 yards and paddled an alternate route.
Near the ocean, the North Fork of the Edisto River forms the northeastern boundary to the ACE Basin. The river begins as the Edisto River North Fork and South Fork before merging into the Edisto Mainstem near Branchville, SC.