South Carolina whitewater - Catawba River, Chester Lancaster County Chester Lancaster county, Great Falls section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS III     2 miles   This is the currently dewatered stretch of Great Falls, about 2 miles long. The bottom 1.5 miles is drowned by Cedar Creek Reservoir, whose dam is just upstream of Lake Wateree. The average gradient is about 30 feet per mile, and the rapids fairly continuous when there's enough water. Unlike the nearby stretches of the Catawba, this stretch is choked with boulders & contains several islands & multiple channels. Scenery is spectacular, the river coursing through a mini-canyon with granite walls & no development visible from the water. Right now it can     be run only when the Catawba is very high, after extended periods of heavy rain. A good indicator is the Catawba USGS gauge at Rock Hill (basically the discharge from Lake Wylie Dam). If it's running well over 10,000 c.f.s., there's probably some flow spilling into the Great Falls run. It needs about 3,000 or 4,000 c.f.s. spilling into the dewatered stretch to be worth running. At these levels it's low class 3. At 10,000 c.f.s. in G.F.(about 20,000 c.f.s. full flow) it's big water class 3-4 & alot of fun. Under the new Catawba/Wateree relicense agreement, there will be (I think) about 28 scheduled releases beginning next year. But it appears that the flows into G.F. will be about 3,000 c.f.s., kind of on the low side. This has great potential as a commercial raft run & play kayaking run if adequate flows can be available (at least   8,000 c.f.s., preferably 10,000 c.f.s.). There are 2 separate runs, separated by Mountain Island--the 'Long Run' (the top of which is visible from SC 97/200 bridge) and the 'Short Run', which is around the right side of the island. Take-out is at the Stumpy Pond access on Cedar Creek Reservoir. Says Silly Willy The starting point is not too far from Chester, there's a road map further down the page with more info on that. The Great Falls stretch of Catawba River in South Carolina is 2 miles long and it is classified as a class III section by American Whitewater. The beautiful scenery of Chester Lancaster County and the cool fresh water have people coming here. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. This is a bit of a short stretch so better bring some good walking shoes. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in South Carolina is often easier than elsewhere, so you'd better keep in mind that many of the sections here are safe for beginners. Getting your paddling muscles activated and a chance to spend some time outdoors have people coming from far and near. Briefly about the general area: A visit to Catawba River wouldn't be complete without taking a look at Great Falls of Catawba. The warmest time of the year brings highs in the 80's to Catawba River with nighttime lows in the 60's. The winter comes with highs in the 50's with winter lows in the 30's overnight here at Catawba River. Much rainfall falls at Catawba River; the month with most of the rain is March; the driest of the months is April. Catawba River, Great Falls road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked. QUICK STATS AW Class: III Length: 2 miles    Putin Location Coordinates: Latitude: 34.59799 Longitude: -80.8919 Takeout Location Coordinates: Latitude: 34.5418 Longitude: -80.8751 Paddler input for Catawba River, South Carolina: Submit Input: Your Name: Write or Paste Input here: Upload picture:      Input Submission Guidelines Current weather conditions at Catawba River, South Carolina Local climate location: WINTHROP COLLEGE 9 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river. Rodeway Inn & Suites, Richburg 9 miles away All rooms offer refrigerators, coffee makers, irons, ironing boards, hair dryers, 25 inch televisions, HBO, ESPN, 63 cable channels, and free wireless/hard wired high-speed Internet access. Several re... Best Western Of Lancaster, Lancaster 11 miles away Located only 10 miles from Andrew Jackson State Park, visitors to this Lancaster, SC hotel can enjoy numerous area attractions while lodging in comfort. Ideally located near many historic interest ar... Jameson Inn Lancaster, Lancaster 11 miles away Featuring true Southern Hospitality, Legendary Service, white colonial design, Deluxe Breakfast, clean comfortable rooms, fitness center & sparkling pool. Close to area attractions, you will enjoy the...   All South Carolina Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in South Carolina. Books about whitewater paddling on Catawba River, South Carolina List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Catawba River, South Carolina. Find a whitewater outfitter in South Carolina Whitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info. Outdoors Recreation Near Chester, South Carolina Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Chester, South Carolina, the metro area neareast to Catawba River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.       These outdoors activities are available near Catawba River.   Ski Areas Near Catawba River: Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 106 miles away, 365 vertical feet Hawksnest, North Carolina , 111 miles away, 619 vertical feet Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 111 miles away, 1200 vertical feet Ski Beech, North Carolina , 115 miles away, 830 vertical feet Wolf Laurel, North Carolina , 137 miles away, 700 vertical feet Cataloochee, North Carolina , 163 miles away, 740 vertical feet Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 170 miles away, 225 vertical feet Sky Valley, Georgia , 172 miles away, 210 vertical feet Winterplace, West Virginia , 173 miles away, 603 vertical feet Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 196 miles away, 600 vertical feet   Hotels Near Catawba River: Rodeway Inn & Suites, Richburg , 9 miles away Best Western Of Lancaster, Lancaster , 11 miles away Jameson Inn Lancaster, Lancaster , 11 miles away Travelodge Lancaster, Lancaster , 12 miles away Richburg-Days Inn, Richburg , 14 miles away   Camp Grounds Near Catawba River: Chester State Park, Chester, 1 miles away Nosoca Pines Ranch, Liberty Hill, 8 miles away Wateree Lake Campground, Liberty Hill, 8 miles away   National Parks Near Catawba River: Congaree Swamp National Monument, Hopkins - SC , 37 miles away   Lakes Near Catawba River