I will be traveling to North Carolina in late March/early April on family business and intend to do some camping and paddling. I can take up to two weeks and intend to head farther south perhaps into the swamps and/or back through SE Missouri to paddle the rivers.
I would like to meet up with anyone interested along the way and perhaps share a campsite/paddle if that would work out. Ideas and tips on places I should see are welcome. I live in Des Moines, IA, and have just started my own research on what I might want to do.
Thanks for your input.

Not meaning to fiddle with your plans as you are doing your own research but the Edisto in SC is nice to paddle at the end of March.

So is the Okefenokee. Sometimes early March is near freezing both places at night which is no big deal but later in the month, the Cypress leaf out and there is something magical about paddling in the shade of Cypress and their knees.

Take a look at the Buffalo in AR but its a bit west of your path. The redbuds are coming out then and lots of wildflowers.

Ozarkpaddler if he sees this is from SE Missouri and frequents the St Francis , Current and the North Fork of the White. Also the Eleven Point and the Jacks Fork

Sparkleberry just outside Orangeburg in SC ( at the head of Lake Marion ) is another glorious swamp paddle. Its about an hour SE of Columbia NC.

Your time frame is great because of all the little flowers that we don't seem to get up North at all or at best much later.

I'd be interested in Missouri. I hope to be home most of the summer and it's only about 3 hours to the Current or Eleven Point.

I have started web searches for canoe/kayaking by state and having some good results. Sparkleberry looks like a nice place to get some swamp experience and not as far south. Coming back through Missouri is very likely so anyone in the area wanting to do a 2-3 day or even an overnight in the area let me know. I hope to get some paddling in the coastal waters as well.

Plans are still refining and input would be appreciated. I am leaning towards spending more time along the coast and catch SE Missouri and the Buffalo another trip. Any input on the Cape Lookout area vs. farther south towards Edisto. I have looked at the Edisto and Santee Rivers and both Sparkleberry and Conagree swamps. Finding camping in the swamp and river areas seems easy enough, but remote camping seems to be limited along the coast other than the Cape Lookout area. And will I find trees for my hammock on the barrier islands?

I can't help you with the SE float (though it does sound like fun). But if you decide to float s.Missouri or n.Arkansas, let me know. I live in St.Louis and I have floated almost every river in Missouri. I could definitely help you decide which rivers to float; some are much better than others. I would also consider joining you if you need another partner - I have a solo canoe as well as a tandem square stern. And there are a couple of rivers in n. Arkansas that I have been wanting to float for some time - they are generally less crowded than the ones in Missouri, and April is a great time to do it.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Handycamp