The Great Pee Dee River is one of the longest undammed rivers in the Southeast, flowing more than 200 miles from the North Carolina border to Winyah Bay near Georgetown. The river passes through bottomland hardwood forest, cypress swamp, and agricultural floodplain in a corridor that feels genuinely remote.
The most popular paddling sections are between Cheraw and Johnsonville, where the river is wide, the current is steady, and the scenery is consistently beautiful. The river is brown with tannins and slow-moving, which makes it manageable for paddlers of moderate skill.
The Pee Dee corridor is excellent for birding. Bald eagles are common. Wood ducks nest in the bottomland forest. Osprey fish the river year-round. Alligators are present in the lower sections.