Field Trip: Scull Shoals. Part 1, Oconee River – Sandy Creek

Scull Shoals was a company mill town built on the east bank of the Oconee River in Greene County in 1810. The town survived fire and flooding before it was abandoned in 1897. Remains of the town are now an Historic Area. We’d stumbled across it many years ago while we were participating in the Georgia Herp Survey and promised ourselves that we’d come back and explore some day.

We started from Watkinsville again and drove south on GA-15 to the Oconee River Campground in the Oconee National Forest Recreation Area which is east of the highway just south of the bridge over the Oconee Area; the turnoff is about one-half miles south of the bridge. The Recreation Area has a primitive campground and a boat launch. A trail runs from here to Scull Shoals but was marked as impassable due to flooding.

The Oconee River, looking west from the Oconee River Campground parking lot.

The Oconee River, looking east from the Oconee River Campground parking lot. The boat ramp is in the foreground.

We drove south and turned east on Macedonia Road; about 1.3 miles south of the Oconee River bridge. The Sculls Shoal Rd turnoff is approximately 1.0 mile east of GA-15. The road crosses Sandy Creek after about 0.5 miles.

Sculls Shoals Rd is a gravel road that runs through pine and deciduous forests.

At Sandy Creek, this Google map shows that there is a pool west of the bridge and a swamp-marsh area east of the bridge.

Sandy Creek, looking west from the bridge.

Sandy Creek, looking east from the bridge.

Wood Duck nest boxes to the right of the swamp. It is noteworthy that Wood Duck nest boxes have been places around many lakes and ponds in National Forests and Wildlife Management Areas in Georgia.
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Resources:
- Trip map (Google): Scull Shoals
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): Oconee River Campground

Related posts:
- Field Trip: Oconee-Greene County. Part 1, Elders Mill Covered Bridge
- Field Trip: Oconee-Greene County. Part 2, Sand Pit – Ward Rd
- Field Trip: Oconee-Greene County. Part 3. Oconee National Forest & Fishing Creek