Duck River Henry Horton State Park to Milltown Road

Portage Lillard Mill Dam

Estimated Length:  7.9Miles                                                    

Date: Oct. 23, 2012

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 and Henry Horton State Park

Put-In:  Henry Horton State Park                  

Take-Out: Milltown Road

Overview:

Lex and I had looked at the extended forecast and knew that this was going to be a gorgeous day. So we work diligently to keep our calendars open so that we could get on the river. But as life takes over…. I ended up having to work. So, Lex called a buddy and I was easily replaced.

This stretch of river is something we had been wanting to do for a while but had avoided due to the Lillard Mill portage. Sometime events work out right and maybe the powers that be where watching out for us because I could not have been much help to Lex with this portage. It is steep and treacherous.

Lex’s thoughts on this piece of river are as follows:

· Nice scenery but nothing outstanding, typical Duck with bluffs and tree lined banks.

· River seemed slower than normal because of water backing up as it approaches Lillard Mill Dam. Lex and Clay had a fair amount of paddling to do!!!

· This is a quiet section of river, there was not much boat traffic on this beautiful Oct week day.

· Gravel bars and islands are few and far between.

· Very difficult portage

 

A day on the river is still better than a day at work!!!!

  

For more detail on this paddle trip go to the Duck River Paddle Page

Duck River: Milltown Rd. to Hardsion Mill

Duck River - Milltown Road to Hardison Mill

 Estimated Length:  5.9  Miles                

Date: Sept. 23, 2012

Weather: Sunny and in the 70’s

Time on River:  2 and 1/2 hours

River Conditions:  Class I            

Distance from Nashville: 1 & 1/4 hours

Close By: Columbia and Henry Horton State Park

Put-In: Center Milltown Road

Take-Out: Hardisons Mill

Highlights:

What a great day to be on the river!!! The sun was shining, the summer crowds have gone back to school and best of all there was water in the river. Lex and I could not have asked for a better day.

At Milltown Road you can pull your car right up to the waters edge, making it easy to unload all the gear. From here you can look up river and see Lillard Mill Dam.

Lillard Mill Dam

 If anybody knows the best side to portage Lillard Mill Dam I would love to hear from you. I have been trying to figure out how to make the run from Henry Horton State Park to Milltown Rd. without killing ourselves.

While putting in we ran into some Austin Peay students. The Duck River mussels continue to be of interest to biologist and conservationist . Right below Lillard Dam is the richest habitat of the endangered mussels on the Duck.

Austin Peay Students

The Duck was running a bit high leaving many of the gravel bars under water, so we did not find a lot of places to stop along the way. The scenery was typical of the Duck with rocky bluffs and forested hillsides. Lots of turtles were out sunning themselves today but no other wildlife was spotted.

The take out at Hardisons Mill was not as accessible as Milltown Rd. with a very narrow rocky dirt road taking us close to the river but we managed. Down river from the take out is some Class II water, lots of kayakers were playing in the water this afternoon.

Again, what a great day to be on the water!!!

 

On the Duck tomorrow 9/23/12

Sometimes life just takes over and the best laid plans have to be put on hold. That is what happened to Lex and I this summer. We had all kinds of great paddles mapped out for this spring/summer but first the low water levels kept us off the river. We waited and waited for the spring rains and we all know how that turned out.

Next was our big move. Lex and I sold our house!!! With only 6 weeks to find a new place to live and pack up our house, finding time for a canoe trip was impossible.  Our frustration level was growing we needed some river time.

The last stumbling block was our youngest son’s move to NYC. Getting him settled in NYC was a bit more complicated then I thought it would be. But we are back on track now: we have had some rain, we moved (the canoe even fits in our 1 car garage) and hopefully my children will not need me for a while.

Even with the cool weather we are planning a trip for tomorrow; Sept 23, 2012. This will be on the Duck River starting at Milltown Rd. (below Lillard Mill Dam) and we will take out at Hardisons Mill. If any paddles would like to join us you are more than welcome. Our estimated time to get on the river is about 10:30am and we are packing a lunch. I can be reach at 615-708-0657 if you have any questions.

See you on the river!!!

Green River - Dennison River Ferry to Green River Ferry

Estimated Length:  7 Miles                                                 

Date: June 24, 2012

Weather: Sunny and Hot

Time on River:  3 1/2 hours         

River Conditions:Class I

Distance from Nashville: 2 1/2 hours

Close By: Mammoth National Park        

Put-In: Dennison River Ferry

Take-Out: Green River Ferry

 

Our second day on the Green river was absolutely great! The Saturday crowds had left and we did not have to share the river with too many other paddlers.  All of us agreed that this was a better section of river than the day before even if it was shorter.

Put In at Dennison Ferry

The put in at Dennison Ferry is steep and not easy but do not let this detour you from making the trip. This section of the Green definitely has more gumption along with the great scenery and still being within the boarders of the Mammoth Cave NP. There are great gravel bars to pull over and enjoy the water, with some small riffles to keep things interesting and the water moving at a good pace. 

 The shuttle takes about 20 minutes and the last mile to Dennison Ferry is down a very narrow gravel road. This part of the park is more remote and the traffic was nonexistent.

What a great trip. I see other paddles along the Green River in our future.

Cairns along the Green

 

Green River - Green River Ferry to Houchins Ferry

Estimated Length: 12 Miles                             

Date: June 23, 2012

Weather: Sunny and Hot

Time on River: 6 Hours           

River Conditions:  Low and Slow 

Distance from Nashville: 2 1/2 hours

Close By: Mammoth National Park        

Put-In: Green River Ferry

Take-Out: Houchins Ferry

Put in at Green's Ferry

Water level so low Ferry's were not even running

 The first paddle of our two day trip down the Green River in Mammoth Cave NP was beautiful but long!!! We went up to KY on Fri night and after finding a camping spot on our third try, we settled down for the night at Wax Campground. I had called Nolin State Park before leaving Nashville and was told they would have lots of space and did not need a reservation. What they failed to mention was the Festival that was going on this weekend complete with fireworks and carnival rides right close to the campgrounds. Needless to say we moved on. 

 












Saturday morning was sunny and clear and we headed out to the Green River. We tackled the 12 miles between Green River Ferry and Houchins Ferry which is a gorgeous stretch of river. All 12 miles are with in the park, so there are no cows,” private property keep out” signs or traffic noise. This section of river is wide and deep.

After spending all spring looking for a river with water in it here in TN it was nice to see an abundance of water. This really is a wonderful stretch of river but after about 4 miles into the trip the water slows down considerably. If you do this part of the Green expect to paddle a lot. The farther down stream you go the slower it gets due to the dam backing up with water. The scenery is beautiful and our only complaint was the flow of the river which needed to be stepped up a bit. Give yourself at least 6 hours to paddle this part of the Green.

 
 

 The put in and take out for both the Green and Houchins Ferry locations is easy, with lots of available parking. The shuttle between the two is about a 25 minute drive with most of it being in the park. Do not speed as the park police officers are very vigilant which I can attest to.

Tomorrow we are off to paddle the upper part of the Green also located in Mammoth Cave NP. 

Caney Fork River - Center Hill Dam to Happy Hollow

Estimated Length:  5.5  Miles                                 

Date: May 28,  2012

Weather: Sunny and in the 90’s

Time on River:  1 and 1/2 hours

River Conditions:  Class I            

Distance from Nashville: 1 & 1/4 hours

Close By: Gordonsville

Put-In: Center Hill Dam

Take-Out: Happy Hollow

Highlights:

Trying to find a river with enough water to canoe this weekend was definitely a challenge. We scouted the upper Duck on Sunday and quickly realized that we would have been out of the canoe more than in it, having to drag our canoe over all the low spots. So off to the Caney Fork river we went. Even without  the TVA running the generators, paddlers are guaranteed water. The Caney has a mandated 250cfs minimum river flow that ensures year-around floatable water.

The Caney was a busy place this weekend, with kayakers, canoers and fisherman. 

Lots of people on the River

 

 The water on the river is clear and cold. The year round water temperature is 52 degrees and the breezes off the river are really refreshing. With so many people on the river wildlife was not that abundant but we did mange to see a turkey and lots and lots of fish. You can see to the bottom in about 4-5 feet of water giving great views off all the trout swimming about. 

Turkey

Do be careful paddling the river when the TVA is generating. Lex and I have done this before and we canoed 16 miles in about 5 hours. The river is still a class I but it is easy to get sucked into a bridge pylon and/or strainers. The TVA publishes the schedule 24 hours in advance and all the river outfitters will not rent equipment when the dam is releasing.

Even with all the crowds it was a good day on the river!!!

Harpeth River - The Narrows

Estimated Length:  5.5  Miles                

Date:  March, 2012     

Weather: Sunny and in the high 50’s

Time on River:  1 and 1/2 hours

River Conditions:  Class I            

Distance from Nashville: 30 minutes

Close By: Kingston Springs

Put-In: Harpeth River State Park

Take-Out: Harpeth River State Park

Highlights:

Turtles on the Harpeth

View along the Harpeth

 

The Harpeth River Narrows is a great place to paddle when you need a quick river fix and live close to Nashville. No shuttling is needed. The paddle is easy and in March we were the only paddlers on the river. Now if you want to try this section or river during the summer months expect a lot of company.

The put-in and take-out are only half a mile apart, shuttle logistics do not get any easier than this. The put-in does have some steep steps that you will have to maneuver but there is a canoe slide to help get your boat down to the water. 

Take-out is just past the Harris Street Bridge on a gravel bar which you can drive your car onto to load up. Either before or after your trip, take the time to hike up the trail to the rock outcrop that has a great view of the Harpeth River.

Within the first 100 yards on the right is Montgomery Bell’s tunnel. It was used to harness water power for an iron forge. DO NOT  go in it, boulders and logs are clogged inside. The Harpeth will take you around a section of land called Bells Bend with views of tree-lined fields and bluffs. About 2.6 miles into the trip, Trace Creek flows into the Harpeth. Eventually the river will meet up with the Cumberland.

Trace Creek

This is a great family paddle and with lots of outfitters close by, anybody can take a trip on the Harpeth!

 

  

Lex and I went and scouted Jones Creek (Dickson County) this week for a future canoe trip. After driving around on some really great TN back roads we found some interesting sights along the way:

Dickson County Courthouse was built in 1833. It is the oldest courthouse still in use in TN.

Mules being trained for a “Mule Pull” missed the picture. Lex really needs to drive a bit slower.

Lunch at The Pit, from what Lex and I could tell this might be the only restaurant in Charlotte, TN. The BBQ was great and we loved the fries.

The Hickerson Hotel on the Charlotte Square Historic District was built in 1853 and was the Union Headquarters in this area during the Civil War.

Finally some pictures of Jones Creek.

We went to the take-out/put-in on

Petty Road

and I am not sure we could maneuver our Old Town Canoe down the banks at this site. We then made our way up to the take out at Timber Ridge and at this location we thought we might be on private property. Lots of No Trespassing signs for some kind of Hunting Club.  

Jones Creek might be great for kayaks but with our 16 foot Old Town Canoe I am not sure how it would navigate. At some points the creek looked narrow and other places a bit shallow. Also, access might be a problem for us with the canoe. It is a bit bulky.

I know the Aquaholics Group will be paddling this creek on Sunday. I am anxious to hear how it goes for them. It looks like a beautiful trip and wish we could join you but not sure our canoe would make the trip.  

Aquaholics have a great trip!!!

Duck River Howard Bridge to Fountain Creek

Estimated Length:  4.5 Miles                 

Date:  December 14, 2011            

Weather: Sunny and in the high 60’s 

Time on River:  1 and 1/2 hours

River Conditions:  Class I            

Distance from Nashville: 45 minutes

Close By: I-65 and Columbia, TN

Put-In: Howard Bridge 

Take-Out: Fountain Creek

Highlights:

This was our last trip of the year and what a gorgeous day to end our 2011 journeys on the Duck River. We could not pass up the good weather and decided to take a quick river trip. Needless to say we had the river to ourselves. The put-in at Howard Bridge is easy, with a car ramp down to the river and a great big parking lot.

 

Howard Bridge



This section of the  Duck River Blueway  is a designated state river and is located in the Yanahli Wildlife Management Area. The trip includes bluffs, islands and the occasional rapids The perfect place to relax with all the holiday stress going on. Mile 148.9  is the beginning of “Stillhouse Hole” claiming to be the deepest spot on the Duck.



Fountain Creek



River access at Fountain Creek is steep but easily recognizable with the Creek flowing into the Duck right before the take-out. Trying to get to this location by car is somewhat tricky, many of the back roads have been washed out. You will need to get back on Hwy 50, do not follow your GPS  unless your car can jump rivers.  

 

Greetings for the New Year! And Happy Paddling in 2012!!!