Duck River - Leftwich Bride to Howard Bridge

Duck River Leftwich Bride to

Howard Bridge

• Date: May 20, 2018                       
• Distance: 5.6 Miles
• Weather: Sunny and in the 80's
• Time on the River: 4 Hours
• River Conditions: Class 1
• Distance from Nashville: 45 Minutes
• Close By: I-65 and Spring Hill, TN
• Put-In: Leftwich Bridge 
• Take-Out: Howard Bridge 
• Outfitter: Higher Pursuits 931-840-8575

Five adults, three toddlers and one dog took a 5.6 mile trip down the Duck on this beautiful Sunday in May. With the help of Higher Pursuits, canoe and kayak outfitters, all of us got on the river with no mishaps. It as a great day to be on the river. We had perfect weather and the river was flowing very nicely. The Jackson Riviera sit-on-tops that we rented where perfect for both the 3 and 4 years old to share with their parents. They could sit/lay in the front and play around in the water as Mom and Dad paddled. The "boys" showed no fear of the water and enjoyed floating downriver so Granddad could catch them.

Higher Pursuits give us a very professional orientation and told us exactly what to expect as we  floated down the river. The shuttle they provided was great and made for a very stress-free trip. This was a wonderful family activity and a great way to spend the day. Even Toby, the dog had a good time.

Carpenters Bridge to Leftwich Bridge

Estimated Length:  8.5 Miles                                                     

Date: May 14, 2017

Weather:  Sunny and the temperature in the 80's

Time on River: 4 hours            

River Conditions:  Class I

Distance from Nashville: 45 minutes

Close By: Less than 10 minutes from I-65 Exit 46 has all kinds of fast food

Put-In: Carpenters Bridge 

Take-Out: Leftwich Bridge

Beautiful Scenery on tbe Duck

Sunday was family day on the river and it was a wonderful way to spend Mother’s Day.  The weather was gorgeous, the river was flowing and the company was the best. We did this 8.5 mile stretch of the Duck in about 4 hours and basically had it to ourselves.

With the river running a bit high, I was worried that there would not be any places to pull over to play in the water. But as my sons say “no worries”, we had ample opportunities to eat, drink and play.
         

Boys Playing in the River

We not only had our children on the river with us but also 2 of our grandchildren, ages 2 and 3. Some paddlers think we are nuts for taking kids this young on the river but they had a blast and the 3 year old is starting to learn the basic of paddling. I might need to purchase a small paddle for him to experiment with on the river. The 2 year old wore himself out and could not wait till he got home for his nap.

Tired Little Boy

Overall it was a perfect trip and I can’t wait till we get back on the river. 

Duck River - Leftwich Bridge to Howard Bridge

Estimated Length: 5.8 Miles                             

Date: June 21, 2015
Weather: Sunny and in the low 90's
Time on the River: 4 hours
Put-In: Leftwich Bridge
Take-Out: Howard Bridge
Out Fitters: Higher Pursuits

Father’s Day was spent on the river!!! Two of our sons, one daughter-in-law, and one Grandson made the paddle with us today. We started the morning at Higher Pursuits where we rented an additional kayak for our group. They were great in helping us get everything ready for our paddle.


 At 5.8 miles this section of river was the perfect length to take a 20 month old toddler. There were lots of places to stop and play along the way and we brought some lunch to keep up our strength. Lex and I had paddled this part of the Duck before and had really enjoyed it. We saw “Buzzard Cave” from the river but did not make the trek up to it, I know that it would have been too much for our Grandson to handle.  The highway traffic gets a bit loud when crossing under I-65 but that’s to be expected.

The access points are easy to maneuver and parking is more than adequate. Because of its easy access, motorized long boats are popular on this section of river. Everyone had a great day on the river and by the end of the paddle we all felt a bit like our Grandson, tired! I am not sure if it was from the paddling or keeping up with a toddler. 

Duck River - Warner Bridge to Halls Mill

Estimated Length: 7.6 Miles                                

Date: June 7, 2015

Weather: Sunny and in the 80’s

Time on the River: 5 Hours

River Conditions: Class I

Distance from Nashville: 45 minutes

Close By: Halls Mill Diner, Henry Horton State Park,
Chapel Hill

Discharge of Duck River at Shelbyville: 249 cfs

Outfitters: Halls Mill Country Dinner Kayak/

                    Inner Tube Rentals 931-294-3474

Busy Access Point

What a What difference two years can make!!! This part of the Duck has become very popular. With the opening of the Halls Mill Diner in 2014 and the addition of the Kayak/Inner Tube Rentals, the access point at Halls Mill was jumping. I guess that is what is to be expected with the growing number of paddlers in the Middle TN area.

Halls Mill Country Diner

This section of the Duck is still one of our favorites. It has everything a paddler wants: high bluffs, beautiful scenery, some fast sections, gravel bars to stop and play, and a waterfall. Even though there were a good number of people getting on the river, this run is long enough that there are stretches that you are by yourself.

I do wish that motorized boats would be outlawed on the Duck. I know not everybody will agree with me but the river is not that wide in places, or that deep and they are noisy!!! On this paddle we saw two air-boats and while they do not make any wake they are extremely loud. We also saw numerous motorized long boats. It would be great if the TWRA were to compromise and make some sections of this river non-motorized, most paddlers would be grateful.

Air-boat on the Duck River

Beautiful Bluffs!

In all it was a great day on the river!!!

Friends Hanging Out On the River

Duck River - Mill Town To River Rats

Estimated Length: 5 Miles
Discharge Day of Paddle: 382cfs
Date: May 3, 2015
Weather: sunny and in the mid 70's
Time on the River: 2 and 1/2 hours
Close by: Chapel Hill/ Columbia/ Henry Horton State Park
Put-In: Milltown Road
Take-Out: River Rats Outfitters

Just need the paddlers

For the first trip of 2015 Lex and I chose the Duck River. We wanted easy in and out access and the helpful and friendly staff of River Rats gave us what we wanted. For $15 they shuttled us to the put-in and we floated back to our car, perfect. We started our paddle around 9 am so we beat the crowds that River Rats was expecting.

They were really loud

It was a beautiful day to be on the river. We saw an otter and of course the camera was in the dry bag at the time. But we did get some pictures of  two Canadian geese that looked like they might have been protecting a nest.





With it being early in the season the tributaries to the Duck still had lots of water in them which made for some nice scenery.

Caney Creek 

Duck River - Warner Bridge to Halls Mill

Estimated Length:  7.6                                                                 

Date:  June 23, 2013

Weather:  Sunny and in the 80’s

Time on River: 5 hours

River Conditions:  Class I            

Distance from Nashville: 45 minutes

Close By: Chapel Hill, Henry Horton State Park and Cedar Rock Lodge

Put-In:  Warner Bridge

Take-Out: Halls Mill

Highlights:

This is our second time to paddle this section of the Duck river and I am so glad we did it again. The river was running at a decent pace and the water level was perfect. We did not drag once!!!

Our friends from Murfreesboro joined us so the shuttling of cars and canoes was smooth. It is less than a 10 minutes drive from Warner Bridge to Hall’s Mill. Both the take and put-in are an easy access. You can drive almost down to the waters edge.

What makes the paddle an exceptional trip is the waterfalls, located where Fall Creek joins the Duck River.  When we first did this paddle in Oct of 2012 the creek was not flowing as forceful as it was today. What is great is that you can walk right up to the falls, sit down and, let the water cascade over you. 

The rest of the paddle was typical Duck, with high bluffs, gravel bars and tree lined  river banks. What is amazing to me is that on this beautiful Sunday in June we did not see one other person on the river. We did run into some boaters when we ended our paddle at Halls Mill but otherwise we had the river to ourselves. 

 

Duck River Leftwich Bridge to Howard Bridge

Estimated Length:  6.2 miles                 

Date:  Oct. 30th

Weather:  Sunny and in the 60’s

Time on River: 3 hours

River Conditions:  Class I            

Distance from Nashville: 45 minutes

Close By: I-65

Put-In:  Leftwich Bridge - easy access to the river

Take-Out: Howard Bridge - easy access to the river

Highlights:

The morning started a bit chilly with the temperature in the 40’s but warmed up considerably, by mid-day we were all shedding our sweaters and jackets. The Duck river was picture perfect today, with no wind the water looked like a lake.

 









The leaves falling from the trees on the river bank made a blanket  of color floating on the water.

The highlight of the trip was a stop at “Cheek Bend Caves” alias “Buzzard Caves”. The cave is located just before the river flows beneath I-65.  Spotting the opening from the river was not half as difficult as making the step climb to the entrance.

The cave was perfect for those of us that do not like dark/damp places. Once you step inside and let your eyes adjust, the exit at the top of the bluff was visible without a flashlight. I would still recommend taking one so you do not stumble on the rocks. The view of the Duck River from the bluff was gorgeous.

We did run into some hikers that had walked the 2 mile trail to the caves. Our approach was a lot more fun.

I wonder how much longer we can canoe until the weather chases us off the river till spring. If you ever want to join us please email me and I will let you know where our next river adventure will be.

Duck River Warner Bridge to Halls Mill

Estimated Length:  7.6 Miles

Date: Oct. 9, 2011

Weather:  Sunny and in the 70’s

Time on River: 3 and 1/2 hours

River Conditions: Class I

Distance from Nashville: 45 minutes

Close By: Chapel Hill, Henry Horton State Park and Cedar Rock Lodge

Put-In:  Warner Bridge                         

Take-Out: Halls Mill

Overview:

I wish the weather would stay just like this and we could skip winter all together. It was beautiful today. This stretch of river surprised us with its majestic bluffs, great rock formation and a waterfall!!!

We put-in just down stream from Warner Bridge. As we got out of the car we spotted a  dog that was stranded on a log jammed up against the bridge pylon. After a serious discussion of how to rescue the animal without tipping us into the river or getting bit by the dog, Lex and I managed to lift him into our canoe and back over to shore. The poor thing was freezing. It looked like it had spent the night with half its body in the river. He did have a collar and was well feed so we knew he had a home close by. Later when we came back to get our car he was nowhere to be seen and must have gone home for some dinner.

The staff at Cedar Rock Lodge have a great since of humor. We ran into some of their buddies as we started our trip down the river.

As usual we had the river to ourselves. We did have to portage at one spot where a tree had blocked the river. This section of the river does have some extremes, at places is was very broad which we had to paddle thru with muscle but then it would  narrow and test our canoeing skills.

The gem of the trip was the waterfall. We did run into a father and son fishing at this location. What a great place to have lunch. The pictures speak for themselves.

Duck River Haskins Chapel Road to Henry Horton State Park

Estimated Length:  8.6

Date: Oct. 1, 2011

Weather:  Sunny and in the 60’s

Time on River: 3 and 1/2 hours

River Conditions: Class I

Distance from Nashville:  45 Minutes

Close By: Henry Horton State Park

Overview:

Fall was definitely in the air as we started our paddle from Haskins Chapel Rd. to Henry Horton State Park. Even though the temperature was chilly the sun was out bright making for a beautiful blue sky.  The leaves have not yet turned but when they do I hope the colors will be vibrant, maybe in the next couple of weeks. I see another paddle trip in the near future.

No other boats were on the river the whole length of the trip. What a difference compared to 6 weeks ago when we made this trip. At that time there were plenty of other canoeists on the river.

The paddle from Haskins Chapel Road to Hopkins Bridge (about 3 miles)  has the most gorgeous bluffs on the Duck River. Every time I come through here it take my breath away.  The next section of river on down to Henry Horton has still has great bluffs but with lots more niches carved into them making some great rock formations. There are a lot of caves along here but all the land owners have signs asking people to stay out and no trespassing.

The only wildlife we saw this trip was a snake that had just found lunch, a small fish and one lone Heron which we followed most of the way down the river. Do Herons ever fly upstream?

Some friends came along who had never been on the Duck River. It may be a while before they return to the Harpeth .

Put-In:  The dirt road access is not the easiest to spot on Haskins Chapel road   It is located between 2 cement barricades and one of them has “keep out” spray painted on the side but once we found it, it was a straight shot to the river.

Take-Out: Henry Horton State Parks one of the easiest river access points along the Duck river.

 

Duck River Carpenters Bridge to Leftwich Bridge

Estimated Length:  8.5 Miles

Date: Sept. 24, 9011

Weather:  Sunny and the temperature in the 70’s

Time on River: 3 hours            

River Conditions:  Class I

Distance from Nashville: 45 minutes

Close By: Less than 10 minutes from I-65 Exit 46

                (all kinds of fast food)

Put-In: Carpenters Bridge (steep bank)

Take-Out: Leftwich Bridge

Overview:

     Do not let the fall weather keep you from planning a trip on the river. Saturday was a perfect day to  be paddling. With the recent rains the water was swift and deep, you did not have to worry about bottoming out and the presence of strainers was minimal. We had the river to ourselves except for the one lone fisherman who was not having much luck.

     As soon as we put in, we spotted a  river otter having his breakfast but we were to slow with the camera. There were lots of Blue Herons and ducks out this morning and the turtles where making their way on to logs as we finished up our trip. This part of the Duck River is within the Yanahli Wildlife Management Area which means there no homes or farmland on the river banks.

     This section of river comes within a quarter of a mile from I-65, so you will hear road traffic for about a 20 minute stretch. This is the only time on the river you will connect with the outside world. The rest of the trip is remote and so very seenic. We love the Duck River!!!

Highlights: