Hatchett Creek runs through the heart of what was once Creek Indian country. The creek was the location of an important town given the same Indian name as the creek, Pochushatchie, meaning Ax Creek, in one of the few cases in Alabama where an Indian placename continued in an English translation.
Hatchett Creek’s headwaters are in the town of Goodwater.
Coming out of Goodwater the paddler will encounter canals and a dam that requires a portage. These were various project built by the town of Goodwater many years ago. After the dam the creek is full of small rapids and shoals. This section, in the opinion of our experienced Hatchett Creek paddler Glenn Dean, is among the most beautiful as it is very pristine and wild.
Further down the creek is the Highway 280 Bridge, an excellent access point for a long, fast run to Highway 231. Between these two bridges Socapatoy Creek joins the Hatchett for some very interesting rapids. Shortly below the confluence of these two mighty creeks is Highway 231, a favorite put-in for a downstream float into the Game Management area.
Soon below the Highway 231 bridge is the broken dam. This dam has a V-shaped slice in it and in the right water is a challenge to shoot. Glenn Dean and his brother once shot it in an aluminum canoe. After making it through, they began celebrating too soon and flipped on a hidden pile of rubble. If you try it, assume that the trap is still there!
Another obstacle to watch out for at the dam is rebar sticking out of the concrete. One paddler sustained a serious knee injury when it came through the bottom of his aluminum canoe. We at the ASRT have not been able to verify the existence of these hazards, so be careful. We will modify this information as we find out more.
Below the dam are numerous rapids and rock gardens, dotted with a cabin here and there. You’ll enjoy this kind of solitude for the rest of the trip.
Near the takeout at Highway 22, there once lived a man named Ben Hughes. Ben was known as a hermit by many travelers on the Hatchett. At one time he lived in a beautiful rustic cabin on the banks that was always open for canoeists and hunters to take refuge in if they became lost or encountered trouble. The cabin eventually washed away in a flood.
Ben Hughes was a friend to the creek and the canoeist that traveled her. He would appear out of nowhere when people encountered trouble. It was eventually discovered that Ben was a hermit only in the summer. For the rest of the year, he was a teacher in a nearby high school.
Below the site of Ben’s cabin and the last rapid is a primitive campground on the right. Less than a mile below the campground is the Highway 22 Bridge and the mouth of Swamp Creek. From here, the creek becomes slow moving as it creeps into Lake Mitchell.
