The Cooper Maze Blueway

# 32 - The Cooper Maze
-Quinby Creek & East Branch of the Cooper River-

Rated: Strenuous

8 - 10 miles, round-trip

Are you up for the challenge of "The Cooper Maze"?

You'll paddle on two legendary waterways in this

arduous route designed for tenured kayakers.

Paddle by marshland and historic rice fields, while

experiencing some of the best wildlife the Low Country

has to offer: egrets, great blue herons, red-shouldered
-hawks, ibis, crowned night herons, ducks and alligators.
-Once you reach this route's namesake, the awesome-
-Cooper Maze (officially part of DNR's Bonneau Ferry-
-Wildlife Management Area), wander through up to-
-4 miles of tributary "fingers" of the East Branch-
-of the Cooper River. Bring your camera and a big-
-sense of adventure for this half-day+ expedition;-
-this is like no other blueway in the State of SC!

IMPORTANT!! PRINT Boat Ramp Parking Sign

Click Here for a Downloadable Cooper Maze Kayaking Guide

GPX Paddling Route for your GPS

Berkeley Blueways Map - ALL Trails

Difficulty: Strenuous; due to distance, tidal influence and potential of winds. Do not underestimate this!

Distance: 8 - 10 miles, round-trip, best suited as exploration once you reach The Maze.

Time: 5 - 7 hours.

Crowds: Virtually none. You might see the occasional motorized boat because of the great fishing!

Put In: Ralph Hamer Sr. Landing, 3800 Cainhoy Road, Huger, SC 29450. GPS: 33.094700, -79.807426 or 33°05’40.9”N, 79°48’26.7”W.

GPS Coordinates for Actual "Cooper Maze": 33.086306, -79.847472 or 33°05'10.7"N 79°50'50.9"W.

Fees/Permits: None.

What to Bring With You / Gear Checklist: CLICK HERE.

Tidal Influence: Yes! Approximately 2 hours behind the Charleston tide table. Charleston Tide Chart, click HERE.

Trees Down or Other Obstructions? If you come across downed trees, limbs or other obstructions while paddling

this blueway, please let us know. We can often facilitate removing it. Contact us at 843-433-0361 or 843-719-4146.

Precautions & Considerations:

1. The creek and river border tall grasses and for the entire Blueway, offering little shade; take extra water and wear a wide brim sun hat.

2. It's highly recommended that you have a GPS device and/or use a phone GPS app (e.g., AllTrails, OnX Backcountry, Gaia GPS, Komoot, etc.) with "offline" maps downloaded. The Maze can be confusing and it's easy to get lost. If you do find yourself misplaced, to get back to the river, move in the opposite direction of the treeline.

3. This Blueway will have strong tidal influences. To make the adventure as enjoyable as possible, plan your trip on a day where you can ride an outgoing tide to The Maze, spend a few hours, and then ride the incoming tide back to the landing.

4. This area is prone to high winds with little to block them, especially in the East Branch of the Cooper River. Even on 5-8 MPH days, the winds can feel significantly stronger, slowly your progress to a crawl.

5. It's advisable to wear bright orange when you reach The Maze during waterfowl hunting season (click HERE for calendar). This area is part of DNR's Bonneau Ferry WMA.

6. Above all, plan for a long day. The Berkeley Outdoor Life team made multiple paddle trips to The Maze in research for this Blueway and it was always a 5 - 7 hour adventure.

Water Level: This Blueway paddle trail is approximately 2 hours behind the Charleston tide. This can affect your effort paddling in both directions. Charleston Tide Chart, click HERE.

What's In a Name: This blueway was named "The Cooper Maze" due to the elaborate system of tributary waterways off of the East Branch of the Cooper River. When looking at satellite images of this large area, it looks like the drawing of a tree, with a wide trunk and branches that span out over a mile in width and over 2,000 ft. deep. We considered the naming the blueway "The Tree," or "The Cooper Tree," but after visiting the labyrinth of water trails, "The Cooper Maze" it became.

So Much More History Nearby: Did you know Berkeley County has more than 110 historical markers and historical points of interest? CLICK HERE to find your Adventures in History!

Sunrise / Sunset Times: Click HERE.

Weather on the Trail: Click HERE.