THE
PERDIDO
RUN

3 DAYS  ·  2 NIGHTS  ·  19 MILES
SHIT WILL GET WEIRD!   

CAST OFF ↓

Tannin-black water.
White sand underneath.

The Perdido runs the Alabama–Florida line through the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area — a spring-fed, blackwater river stained dark by cypress tannins, cold year-round, and lined with bright sandbars around every bend.

19miles of trail
6screened shelters
3access points
∞sandbars for lunch

Bald eagles and ospreys work the tree line. Gopher tortoises dig in along the high banks. Deer come down to drink at dusk. It is an easy paddle with a current doing most of the work — which means more time for fishing, swimming, and doing absolutely nothing on a sandbar.

Float Plan

The Run

Gravel Landing to Blue Lake Landing. 19-miles, 3 days of easy paddle through untouched wilderness, two nights under the tin roofs of the trail shelters listening to nature sing.

  1. MI 0.0

    Gravel Landing

    PUT-IN · DAY 1 START

  2. MI 4.3

    Nelson Ditch Shelters

    PASS BY · PADDLE ON

  3. MI 7.0

    Peaden Lake Shelter

    NIGHT ONE · 7.0 MI DAY

  4. MI 9.0

    Staple Fork Landing

    MID-TRAIL ACCESS · BAIL-OUT OPTION

  5. MI 12.5

    Loggerhead Creek Shelters

    NIGHT TWO · 5.5 MI DAY

  6. MI 16.75

    Swamp Field Shelter

    PASS BY · ALMOST THERE

  7. MI 19.0

    Blue Lake Landing

    TAKE-OUT · DAY 3 FINISH · 6.5 MI DAY

Official Alabama State Lands Perdido River Canoe Trail map showing landings, shelters, float times and distances
Official ADCNR trail map · landings, shelters, float times & rules

Waterfront Living

Just pray it don't rain!

Two kayaks paddling down the tannin-dark Perdido River lined with tall pines
Easy current, big sky, tannin-black water.
Kayak bow approaching a sandbar lined with beached canoes and kayaks
Coming in on a sandbar camp.
Canoes and kayaks pulled up on a wide white sandbar with campers wading in the shallows
Boats racked up for the night.
Loggerhead Creek Shelter 1, an elevated screened-in wooden shelter with a staircase, surrounded by trees
Loggerhead Creek Shelter — night two, screened in and off the ground.
A wooden shelter tucked into the trees on the far bank of the river
Another shelter, tucked into the bank.
The Perdido River at Staple Fork Landing with a wide sandbar and fenced overlook
Staple Fork Landing — the mid-trail access point.
A grass two-track trail leading through pines toward a distant shelter roof by the water
Walking up on a shelter from the trail side.
Tall longleaf pine flatwoods with morning sun filtering through the trees
Longleaf pine flatwoods along the WMA.

THE HAMMOCK LIFE

Screened in.
Roof overhead.

Every stop is a raised, screened-in shelter — bug-free sleeping, a dry porch for the camp stove, and a sandbar out front. Please do not feed the meth heads or aligators.

The Shelter

Each shelter sleeps up to four campers and gear, elevated off the ground and fully screened. Unless the screen is ripped, of course.

Rules of the River

No open fires within 20 feet of a shelter, unless firing up a fat one — Build a fire on the sandbar instead. No alcohol is the rule but no one follows it, just don't be a dumbass.

Noon to noon

Reservations run noon-to-noon at $25/night per shelter. Book ahead — bring a copy of your confirmation.

Pack it in, pack it out

No bathrooms on the trail. Bring a portable toilet and haul out every scrap of trash. Leave no trace.

Don't be a Dumbass

Know before you go

Watch for

  • Logjams in the river and your ass are common - plan on a portage or two, especially near Barrineau Park Bridge (~5.25 mi south of Staple Fork).
  • River stage at Barrineau Park Bridge — flood stage is 13 ft. Check levels before you launch.
  • Spring-fed water stays cold year-round, even in summer heat.

Bring

  • Trail map, paddles, Life jackets
  • Dry bag with a change of clothes
  • Mushrooms, Flower, Cold Snacks
  • Flashlight, Firestarter, Portable Toilet
  • Food, water, sunscreen, sunglasses
  • Waterproof case, Battery Packs, Speakers
  • Shit ton of bug spray

Reserve the run.

Reserve at alabamacanoetrails.com See the full itinerary

LET'S GO! (251) 533-7780