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Day 6
The Cut Off Conga
In the mid-1980s, if you had paddled this remote section between Ga. 96 and Minona Ferry, you’d have covered some 13 miles of river. Today, the course is more than a mile shorter thanks to the ever changing ways of a Coastal Plain river.
The Flint cuts off oxbows (former bends in the river) no less than four times in this nearly 12-mile stretch of river, making dated maps, well…out-of-date.
After passing beneath Ga 96, within the first mile you’ll get a taste of both cut offs and the “under-the-bluffs” paddling you’ll see more of on Day 7. Beechwood Swamp flanks the river to the west and Magnolia Swamp continues along the east bank. Wildlife is abundant. Scouting trips revealed gators, turtles, deer, beaver and raptors of all sizes.
Beaver and Gin creeks near mile six and Horse Creek near mile 11 provide excursions into swampy bottomlands in high water, while frequent sandbars provide play and treasure hunting places in low water.
The day ends at our take out--Minona Ferry--the last river ferry in Georgia—where you can see remnants of the operations which ceased in 1988. The new bridge which replaced the 55-foot metal barge can be seen just downstream.
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