A good paddle is to park at the 601 bridge and paddle up to Loves Shoals - that way you don't have to run shuttle.
Loves Shoals is the little rapid about a mile below the dam. Also this is right below where Grannies Quarter Creek runs into the river at river left. At Loves Shoals on river right is the first in a series of three canals that made the Wateree/Catawba navigable. - First suggested by Robert Mills - the Landsford Canal is another of these. Farther down,- a couple of miles- at low water you can sometimes see the old landing of Chestnut's Ferry. On river right before you get to 601 you can see where Five and Twenty Creek runs into the river - one of Palmetto Paddler's own claims the first modern descent of the creek from Highway S47 (Smyrna Church Road) to the river - our very own Bobo Kirkland.

Downstream from the I-20 bridge on river left is the Chesnut Plantation (Mary Boykin Chesnut) It is my understanding that this is generally where those in the know believe Cofitachequi was located - and I have seen the archeological digs there. You would not generally be welcomed to wander around there - especially during hunting season. (this is now Mulberry Plantation)

There are many historical records of fish traps and such in the area around Loves Shoals and upstream.

On river left at the dam is a bluff known as Eagle's Nest - and there have always been eagles in this general area.

For some years there has been an organization which advocates the destruction of the dam. They advocate the construction and operation of nuclear power plants to free the water trapped and enslaved by the abomination that is the Wateree Dam. They call themselves "Nuke the Dam".

I have studied the old Mills Atlas pretty closely and do not believe there are significant rapids slightly above the Wateree dam - but at Great Falls (Nitrolee and Fishing Creek) there is a considerably different story.

In warmer weather and low water an interesting thing to see is all the grass eating carp which congregate right below Loves Shoals. Some of them are really huge and if you are lucky when they cut the grass below the dam it floats down the river and causes the carp to become very active-stampeding to the point of threatening to cause capsize of your canoe..

Much further down at about Rembert is the SC Prison farm - I have spent the night there a couple of times and we have accessed the river through there. One time we found a fellow who had been lost in the swamp for 3 days - and when we hauled him out the Sheriff made us all go through a line-up as they thought at least one of us was an escaped prisoner.

Fortunately neither Dave Mullis nor Bobo Kirkland was along on that trip.

Is there a place to take out at the 601 bridge? Also, has anyone here ever canoed or kayaked from the Wateree dam to the 378 bridge?

yes there is a put in at 601 bridge as well as at the dam, either above or below the dam. I don't recall hearing of anyone running the dam intentionally lately. Bobo has told me of seeing a Houseboat run the dam but I think they now try to discourage that.

about 1 mile below the dam you get an area which can be quite draggy.

there used to be an event called something like "Wateree River Rat Regatta" sponsered by a radio station and they had a lot of people tubing the river from the dam to 601 with no problem.

yes you can paddle to 378 no problem and it has been done and there is a put in at 378.

I'm not real sure why you would want to go somewhere where there is no problem - but that's the way it is. Maybe you could take Dave Mullis along and then you would be carrying along your own problem in case you couldn't turn up one in the natural way.

Alternatively I have been advised that if you ostentatiously display your support of gay pride, you might expect to trigger some sort of adverse action from the locals.

no joke.

Had to be your Speedos Creed. One needs to dress down depending upon the situation.