The Rivergator

The Rivergator Lower Mississippi River Water Trail

🔍

1,100

River Miles

Sections

1,611

Markers

526

Access Points

●

Start Paddling

GPS tracking & navigation

🗺

Plan a Trip

Multi-day expedition planner

📖

Paddler's Guide

Safety, skills & river knowledge

🌊

River Conditions

Gauges, weather & reports

River Sections

St. Louis to Caruthersville

Mile 195–850 · 305 river miles

74% wild8 chapters

Subsections

302

Markers

264

Notes

Caruthersville to Memphis

Mile 850–737 · 113 river miles

78% wild4 chapters

Subsections

Markers

Notes

Memphis to Helena

Mile 737–663 · 74 river miles

82% wild5 chapters

Subsections

Markers

Notes

Helena to Greenville

Mile 663–537 · 126 river miles

85% wild5 chapters

Subsections

Markers

Notes

Greenville to Vicksburg

Mile 537–437 · 100 river miles

80% wild4 chapters

Subsections

Markers

Notes

Vicksburg to Baton Rouge

Mile 437–225 · 212 river miles

72% wild5 chapters

Subsections

204

Markers

170

Notes

Baton Rouge to Venice

Mile 229–10 · 219 river miles

4 chapters

Subsections

418

Markers

150

Notes

Atchafalaya River

Mile 159–0 · 159 river miles

90% wild3 chapters

Subsections

224

Markers

206

Notes

Birdsfoot Delta

Mile 10–0 · To the Gulf

100% wild3 chapters

Subsections

Markers

Notes

Community Reports

Guide & Resources Everything you need to paddle the Lower Mississippi

📖

Essentials

4 articles

›

📜

Foreword

Why this guide exists

›

🌊

Introduction

The Lower Mississippi River Water Trail

›

🗺

River Sections

Browse all 9 sections of the river

›

⛹

About the Rivergator

John Ruskey & LMRF

›

🎒

Before You Go

4 articles

›

🌱

Beginner Options

›

🌊

Intermediate Options

›

🌿

Leave No Trace

›

🔗

Essential Paddler Links

›

🧭

Navigation

7 articles

›

⇄

Main Channel vs. Back Channel

›

📈

Forecasting River Levels

›

📏

Monitoring River Rise with a Stick

›

🚧

Paddling Through a Lock and Dam

›

⚡

Notched or Overtopped Dikes

›

🗺

Army Corps of Engineer Maps

103 navigation charts · 2015 edition

›

🧭

Custom Routes

19 routes John mapped on Google My Maps

›

⚠

Safety

7 articles

›

⚠

Safety Overview

Essential safety for the big river

›

🚣

Canoe Self-Rescue

›

🚣

Kayak Self-Rescue

›

🏄

SUP Self-Rescue

›

👋

Paddle Signals

›

🔈

Whistle Signals

›

👥

Experts & Credits

›

🌱

River Knowledge

3 articles

›

🌈

What Color is the Mississippi?

›

🦠

Phytoplankton

The invisible life of the river

›

🏆

2017 Celebratory Expedition

›

📷

River Media

2 articles

›

📷

River Photo Gallery

›

🎦

River Video

›

📚

Resources

7 articles

›

🌊

Water Trails in Louisiana

›

🌊

Water Trails in Mississippi

›

📨

Lower Mississippi River Dispatch

›

📰

News

›

🎤

Press Kit

›

📚

Book Shop

›

🗺

Map Shop

›

✉

›

Profile Your account & contributions

🚣

Join the Rivergator Community

Share river conditions, post photos, review campsites, and help fellow paddlers navigate the Lower Mississippi.

Enter your email to sign in. New paddlers, add your name too. Works on any device.