Broad River: Neal Shoals Dam to Sandy River Landing

Skill Level: Easy

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Rapids: Class I

Length: 7.40 miles

Duration: 3.5 - 4 hours

Portaging: No

What to Expect

This trip is classified by swift moving flatwater and Class I rapids, wide, clear channels, and densely wooded forests along the river's banks.

Access

Put in:

Neal Shoals Dam River Access and Parking Area

Shoals Road, Carlisle, SC 29031

Access Details

The Broad River can be accessed by portaging boats 500 feet from the parking area. This river access can be used to avoid portaging the Neal Shoals Dam.

Take out:

Sandy River Boat Ramp and Parking Area

Boat Ramp Road, Carlisle, SC 29031

Access Details

A small parking area and dirt boat ramp are located river-left. To view the map, click HERE.

Trip Details

The put in and take out are 30 minutes apart, so shuttling cars could take close to an hour. When driving to the take out, bear right at the fork of Store Road and Boat Ramp Road. Store Road is a dead end. After putting in at Sandy River Landing, paddlers will cross under a railroad bridge and the Highway 215 bridge. The take out is 1.75 miles downstream of the Highway 215 bridge.

Waterway:

Broad River

Upstream Trip (1)

Broad River: Broad River Landing to Neal Shoals Dam

Downstream Trip (1)

Broad River: Sandy River Landing to Shelton Ferry Landing

Comments (1)

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Paula Cumalander

Mar 24, 2018 2:51 pm EDT

“Some of this fishing activity was quite different than what we think of fishing today. One of these was the use of “fish dams” placed out in the river. One rare surviving example is on the Broad River, close to the town of Carlisle, SC. This fish dam was made of piled up stones that made a “V” shape pointing down river. It is believed that the narrow end of the “V” was used to hold a basket type trap to catch the fish being funneled between the piled up stone walls. Probably, the Indians went into the river upstream of the fish dam and “drove” the fish down in to the traps by splashing in the water.” http://pacoletmemories.com/riveractivities.html DAM IS FOUND ON RIVER RIGHT WITHIN SIGHT OF THE HIGHWAY 215 BRIDGE.