Altamaha River

The 137-mile Altamaha River is one of the great natural treasures of the eastern United States.  Pronounced Al’ta’mahaw’ the river starts at the confluence of the Ocmulgee and the Oconee Rivers near Hazelhurst and flows undammed to the Atlantic Ocean in Darien.

Crossed by roads only five times, the largely undisturbed river is believed to be more than 20 million years old and pumps an average of 100,000 gallons of fresh water into the sea every second, making it the third largest contributor of fresh water along the eastern seaboard.

The Altamaha’s watershed (drainage basin) is approximately 14,000 square miles, qualifying it as one of the largest river basins in the United States. Including its tributaries (Ocmulgee being the largest) the United States Geological Service records the length of the river at 470miles, and all found within the state of Georgia.