Piney River - Pinewood Canoe and Camp

• Date: June 5, 2016                                              
• Distance: 4.8 Miles
• Weather: Rain the night before, partly cloudy while on the river
• Time on the River: 3 Hours
• River Conditions: Class 1
• Distance from Nashville: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Close By: I-40 and Dickson, TN
• Put-In: Pinewood Camp property off of Piney River Road
• River Gauge:  USGS Piney River at Vernon, TN minimum runnable level 75 cfs
• Take-Out: Pinewood Camp
• Outfitter: Pinewood Canoe and Camp 931-729-1042

It has been a few years since Lex and I have paddled the Piney River and it’s still just as gorgeous as last time we were on it.  Even thought it had rained the night before the water was clear and not at all muddy. The difference between the Harpeth and the Piney when it comes to water clarity is like night and day.

            We used Pinewood Canoe and Camp for our shuttle to the put-in and they were doing a steady business for a Sunday morning. The cost is $12 per person for the shuttle if you have your own canoe and we did not need any reservation. They mentioned that when things get busier during the summer, it would be best to call ahead.  Pinewood did have some overnight campers and more visitors in the afternoon that came to play in the water.

  

The put-in creek that flows into the Piney

          The put-in is only a few miles from the camp and is located on a creek that flows into the Piney. Pinewood has constructed a nice ramp for paddlers to get there boats down the embankment. The water to the Piney is somewhat shallow and you might need to walk your boat over the shallows.

The uprooted tree that got the better of us

            The piney has numerous places to stop and play in the water, along with some great bluffs and scenery. We found lots of vegetation along the river with some really nice wildflowers. Lex and I have been paddling the Harpeth and Duck with our 16 foot Old Towne Canoe for the past few outings so the narrower passageways of the Piney, did give us somewhat of a challenge. In particular one tree managed to grab out boat.  The Kayaks seemed to be having an easier time of it.

            It’s always nice to finish the paddle and be able to pack up and get on the road without having any additional shuttles, just one more reason to visit the Piney. This really is a great river and needs to be paddled more than once every few years. 

Piney River - Piney River to Walter Nunnely Bridge

Estimated Length:  6.9 Miles                                     

Date:  July 21,2012    

Weather: Sunny with Afternoon Showers

    High 80”s

Time on River:  3 Hours

River Conditions:  Class I      

Distance from Nashville: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Close By: I-40 and Dickson, TN

Put-In: Pinewood Camp Property off of

            Piney River Road 

Take-Out: Walter Nunnely Bridge

Pinewood Canoe and Camp 931-729-1042

Lex and I got out of our comfort zone and left the Duck River a few weekends ago and traveled down the Piney River and we are sure glad we did. Our intended trip was to follow Paddle #22 as laid out in Patty Shultz book “Paddling around Nashville”. We met our canoe buddy’s at the take out located by the Walter Nunnely Bridge on Rt. 230. The river is about was 100feet from the parking lot with a steep incline but manageable. The road that is mentioned in Patty’s book to take you down to the river from the parking lot was washed out and neither one of our trucks could navigate down it. We then loaded up all the gear into one truck and proceeded to the put-in.  After some searching we found the spot that Patty refers to as the put-in located on Piney River Road. Over time foliage does take over and the path down to the river was barely identifiable. Once you got to the river it was a 5 foot drop from the river bank to the water with no place to really set up for the paddle.

We decided it was time to find a new place to launch our canoes. After about an half hour of driving up and down the back roads of Hickman County we located where the Pinewood River Canoe and Camp folks put-in. This is actually a feeder creek to the Piney River. After some negations they let use their put-in facility. My recommendation is to first go to their camp, sign the wavier and pay the $3 fee. They will then give directions or shuttle you to the put-in. It is a 50 foot down hill carpeted ramp to the water. The water is a bit shallow until you get to the Piney, so be prepared to get out and pull your canoe.

 Once we got on the river all was well with the world and the put-in hassle was behind us. The Piney is a narrower river than Lex and I are use to, which kept us on our toes. There are some quick turns to maneuver, strainers to avoid and places where the current picks up.  The river was a bit shallow in places and we did drag along the bottom. If the river had been up another 3 inches it would have been perfect. The water on the Piney is clear and clean. Some great rock formations are found on this section of river, along with the usual Middle TN cattle farms and forests.

We did stop about ¾ of the way down river to sign the necessary paper work with the Pinewood River Canoe and Camp. This worked out perfectly because as soon as we got under cover the rain started. It was just an afternoon shower and it gave us time to eat our lunch. The paddle after the Camp slows down a bit but the scenery on this section of the river is worth it.

In summary we really liked the Piney River. The technical aspects of the river was just the right amount of a challenge for us and the river is shallow enough that if we did take a spill the water was not going to be over our heads. This river is definitely not as busy as the Buffalo but has some of the same qualities and is closer to Nashville.