South Carolina

Kayak the Lowcountry

Program No. 12440RJ
Join experts for a relaxed kayaking adventure in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, where you’ll paddle historic waterways, learn about regional culture and enjoy home-cooked meals.

Enroll with Confidence

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more

Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

At a Glance

Discover the beauty and secrets of South Carolina’s Lowcountry waterways, home to Spanish moss, marsh grasses, blackwater and abundant wildlife. Paddle on salt creeks, freshwater rivers and venture into woodland swamps as you study the ecological and historical culture of the Lowcountry, observing species of birds and wildflowers visible only from the water.
Activity Level
Varies by date
Varies by date. OUTDOOR: SPIRITED Dates: Intended for beginner and intermediate paddlers. Kayak 4 miles daily (about 3 hours); lift kayaks and gear. OUTDOOR: CHALLENGING Dates: Experienced and fit paddlers receive advanced instruction that assumes knowledge of strokes and techniques. Paddling up to 12 miles daily; sitting in kayak up to 4 hours; carrying kayak and gear. Conditions may include wind and opposing currents. Please note all our kayaks are singles; if you have never paddled a kayak solo before, we recommend that you choose the “Outdoor: Spirited” version of this program.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Paddlers will explore history first-hand from the water, meandering through salt marshes, past cypress trees, or under stately live oaks.
  • Enjoy delicious contemporary takes on lowcountry fare like Lowcountry Boil or collards, prepared by a local chef!
  • Relax and learn during various evening activities: study SC by Map, meet a sweetgrass basket maker, or hear stories from the lowcountry--there's something different every night.

General Notes

The Retreat Difference: This unique, often basic and no-frills experience at a Road Scholar Retreat includes opportunities for light exercise, interaction with the local community, an authentic farm-to-table or locally sourced meal and evening entertainment on at least one night. Small group program limited to 13 participants. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
April Childress
A native of South Carolina, April Childress has been sea kayaking for more than a decade. She is a popular instructor for Road Scholar programs, and she has kayaked in the Lower Exumas; rafted the Grand Canyon; served on a Mars Society research team in the Canadian High Arctic; and has photographed blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos Islands. April thinks there is no place in the world like South Carolina, and no better way to explore it than by water.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of April Childress
April Childress View biography
A native of South Carolina, April Childress has been sea kayaking for more than a decade. She is a popular instructor for Road Scholar programs, and she has kayaked in the Lower Exumas; rafted the Grand Canyon; served on a Mars Society research team in the Canadian High Arctic; and has photographed blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos Islands. April thinks there is no place in the world like South Carolina, and no better way to explore it than by water.
Profile Image of Andy Smith
Andy Smith View biography
Andy is a whitewater instructor, attorney, gardener and river trip leader who lives in Mountain Rest, South Carolina with his wife Cina. Their farmstead is three miles from the Chattooga River, where he has been hosting paddlers since 1979. As an attorney, Andy dedicated twenty years to environmental protection and conservation. He has shucked oysters at a jazz club in New Orleans, managed a rustic fly-in resort on Crooked Island in The Bahamas and currently works at the Airey Law Firm in Seneca, South Carolina.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Print All
Map details are not available for this location.
6 days
5 nights
14 meals
5 B 4 L 5 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Ridgeland, SC
D
LifeTides Institute's Community of Cottages

Activity note: Check in from 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon: **Please email jjschatz46@gmail.com with your approximate weight, height and shoe size before you arrive onsite to your program. This helps us get the correct kayaks ready for you before your arrival.** Program Registration: 4:00-5:00 p.m. at Life Tide's community of cottages to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Once you are settled into your room, meet the other Road Scholars who are sharing your cottage and enjoy a chat on the back porch. At 5:30 p.m., join us for a meet and greet with the whole group before dinner at our gathering spot.

Dinner: 6:00 p.m. in the dining room.

Evening: Orientation. After supper, the Group Leader and instructors will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you have about the program, facilities and gear. We will review COVID-19 protocols and adhere to applicable COVID-19 guidelines and requirements throughout the program. We’ll also take a little time to share expectations and goals. The rating for this program date is “Outdoor Challenging” and geared towards experienced kayakers. In the Lowcountry, “challenging” doesn’t necessarily mean paddling more miles per day. A challenging paddle outing might involve navigating over logs, around strainers, or through marsh grass. It could require paddling against tidal or other currents, squeezing past oyster beds, and/or getting in and out of the boats on rocky shorelines or slippery mud. Plans for each day and paddling may be affected by weather/tides or necessitate changes to the schedule for the group’s safety or convenience. Note: All of our kayaks are singles. If you have never paddled a kayak solo before, we recommend enrolling in the “Spirited” version of Kayak the Lowcountry Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We’ll make it an early night as you’re probably tired from traveling. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the big day ahead.

DAY
2
Safety & Equipment Review, Saltwater Paddle, Evening Fun
Ridgeland, SC
B,L,D
LifeTides Institute's Community of Cottages

Activity note: Getting in/out of 15 passenger vans; driving from 25-40 miles depending today’s routes, approximately 1 hour riding time. Be prepared to help load/unload kayaks on/off a trailer with direction and assistance from instructors. Dress for land activities in the morning and kayaking in the afternoon with sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle, sun glasses, hat.

Breakfast: 8:00 a.m. in the dining room. We will also prepare bag lunches from a delectable variety of choices to take with us. Be sure to fill your water bottle.

Morning: We’ll gather to review equipment, techniques, and safety. Even experienced kayakers will appreciate the information to make paddling safer and more convenient. We’ll each receive personal flotation devices (PFDs), review paddling and the types of kayaks we’ll be using, and load the trailer.

Lunch: In the field, we’ll have the lunches we prepared this morning and chat about what we’ve seen.

Afternoon: We’ll head hop into vans and head out to Boyd Creek. In the kayak and on the water, we’ll have opportunities to apply the morning’s lessons, practice our strokes, and refine or add to what we know. Our leaders will tailor lessons to the group’s abilities such as stroke demonstrations and introductions to the spartina grass and plough mud of the Lowcountry marsh. One of the best parts about kayaking is the opportunity it affords to see our ecosystem up close: touch the periwinkles, watch the wading birds on shore and overhead, and maybe, if we’re really lucky, see a dolphin.

Dinner: In the dining room.

Evening: We’ll gather for a presentation on aspects of the Lowcountry such as the natural world, cultural experiences, and locale.

DAY
3
Kayaking the Combahee River
Ridgeland, SC
B,L,D
LifeTides Institute's Community of Cottages

Activity note: Getting in/out of 15 passenger vans; driving from 25-40 miles depending today’s routes, approximately 1 hour riding time. Be prepared to help load/unload kayaks on/off a trailer with direction and assistance from instructors. Dress for land activities in the morning and kayaking in the afternoon with sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle, sun glasses, hat.

Breakfast: In the dining room. We will also prepare bag lunches from a delectable variety of choices to take with us. Be sure to fill your water bottle.

Morning: As we did yesterday we’ll help our instructors load the kayaks onto the trailer before setting out to explore a different waterway. Each day, we will explore a different aspect of the Lowcountry, by salt water, brackish water, and blackwater. Today we’ll be paddling the Combahee, a lovely blackwater river and see how its flora and fauna differ from those of a salt marsh. On our way, we may stop at a local spot where we’ll enjoy the atmosphere.

Lunch: In the field, we’ll have the lunches we prepared this morning and chat about what we’ve seen.

Afternoon: We’ll continue our field trip with more paddling. Retracing our route back to the van, we’ll see the blackwater in a different light. We’ll notice that it’s easier to avoid strainers when we’re paddling against current than with it. The greens and yellows are brighter going back in the afternoon’s sun. Be sure to stay hydrated and always keep your water bottle handy.

Dinner: In the dining room.

Evening: We’ll gather for another presentation on aspects of the Lowcountry such as the natural world, cultural experiences, and locale.

DAY
4
Kayak Walnut Pond
Ridgeland, SC
B,L,D
LifeTides Institute's Community of Cottages

Activity note: Getting in/out of 15 passenger vans; driving from 25-40 miles depending today’s routes, approximately 1 hour riding time. Be prepared to help load/unload kayaks on/off a trailer with direction and assistance from instructors. Dress for land activities in the morning and kayaking in the afternoon with sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle, sun glasses, hat.

Breakfast: In the dining room. We will also prepare bag lunches from a delectable variety of choices to take with us. Be sure to fill your water bottle.

Morning: This morning will bring another opportunity for exploration of the Lowcountry by kayak. If we’ve had enough rain over the season, then today it’s off to Walnut Pond, a lovely cypress and tupelo swamp. There, we’ll weave our way through a blackwater forest, sliding, pushing, and pulling ourselves over fallen logs and through low-hanging limbs. This is Lowcountry kayaking at its best, exploring an environment very different than those we’ve seen on our previous paddle field trips. Listen for the call of the Barred Owl, for splashes from deer running through the flooded forest, for whispers of awe from fellow paddlers. If rain didn’t fill the swamp, we will have a number of other amazing places to go in the Lowcountry so don’t worry, we’ll experience a place of genuine, rich-in-wildlife beauty wherever we go.

Lunch: In the field, we’ll have the lunches we prepared this morning and chat about what we’ve seen.

Afternoon: Our paddle field trip will continue. Depending on time, we may make a side trip on the way home to Palm Key. Either way, we’ll arrive back in time for some time to freshen up and relax before supper.

Dinner: In the dining room.

Evening: We’ll gather for another presentation on aspects of the Lowcountry such as the natural world, cultural experiences, and locale.

DAY
5
Old Sheldon Church, Beaufort, Kayaking
Ridgeland, SC
B,L,D
LifeTides Institute's Community of Cottages

Activity note: Getting in/out of 15 passenger vans; driving from 25-40 miles depending today’s routes, approximately 1 hour riding time. Be prepared to help load/unload kayaks on/off a trailer with direction and assistance from instructors. Dress for land activities in the morning and kayaking in the afternoon with sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle, sun glasses, hat.

Breakfast: In the dining room.

Morning: Bring cameras today. First, we’ll stop to explore one of the loveliest places you’re likely to encounter around here: Old Sheldon Church. This ruined brick church — serving as a reminder of wars past — is surrounded by dogwoods, live oaks, and an old cemetery. As we wander the grounds, we’ll read the stones (some local notables are buried here), take photographs, and take in the history and beauty. From there, we’ll ride through the countryside to beautiful Beaufort by the Sea, a waterfront town with lots of history, lovely antebellum homes, and open arms to greet visitors.

Lunch: In the field, we’ll have the lunches we prepared this morning and chat about what we’ve seen.

Afternoon: Depending on the weather, we may launch from a sandy beach in nearby Port Royal or head further inland to avoid wind, but we’ll have a nice paddle this afternoon, that’s for sure. As we paddle on the Intracoastal Waterway, we may see Osprey, Pelicans, or Oystercatchers, or even a few sailboats or tugboats pushing barges. After our paddle, we’ll load our kayaks back on the trailer one last time and turn the van homewards, toward our cottages and much-needed showers.

Dinner: In the dining room. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: This is our last evening together and everyone will find something to enjoy as we share highlights from the week over dessert — if you still have room. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
6
Program Concludes
Ridgeland, SC
B

Activity note: Check-out 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: In the dining room. For those who may need to get an early start, please let us know ahead of time and we will be happy to prepare something to take with you.

Morning: We’ll gather for farewells. After telling parting stories, asking questions, issuing invitations, or listening to one more joke, it’s time for departure. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!






Recommended For You

loading spinner