Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
404.2 RBD Yucatan Ditch For an other-worldly glimpse into the ragged and primeval Delta jungle, stay right bank descending below Middle Ground Island (through Yucatan Cut-Off of 1929) and look for a narrow opening through the scruffy woods. This skinny channel closes off around 10VG, but for paddlers this
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
404.8 LBD Port of Claiborne County The Claiborne County Harbor is found right bank descending just below the 404.9 channel marker opposite Coffee Point and the Yucatan Run-Out Ditch. After passing a line of blocky white pump stations (Grand Gulf Nuke Plant) and a large hunting camp left
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
410 RBD Middle Ground Island Middle Ground is one of the big mid-channel islands that splits the river cleanly in two (during high water). When you come upon it from above in high water it’s hard to tell which side is main channel and which side is back channel.
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
418 - 413 RBD Big Black Island Due to the ever meandering nature of the big river, Big Black Island is now landlocked and connected to the east bank, although it is still legally considered Louisiana. Great all water level and all weather camping can be found around the entire
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
416.5 LBD “Big Momma” Dike As you get propelled westward past Karnac, Island No. 110, Canon Point, Togo Landing, and on around Big Black Island canoeists and kayakers will paddle past a series of three dikes known appropriately as the Togo Island Dikes. The topmost of these (LBD near
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
417-414 Togo Island Bend & Dikes The Mississippi makes a tight bend at Togo, a one hundred and eighty degree about face. The waters running northwesterly past Big Black Island find themselves turned around at Togo Island and made to exit this bend running southeasterly! That’s some wrangling of
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
417-414 RBD Togo Island About a mile below the last bump of sand (during high water) on Newtown, RBD near mile 416, you will find an opening in the wall of willows. This is the entrance to the back channel of Togo Island. Always an interesting place to make a
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
419.6 LBD Lake Karnac The main current swishes around Newtown Bend Sandbar and is propelled outward past several intriguing openings and cuts in the bank, some filled with powerful eddies that you could eddy out into. But there are also several openings along the left bank descending, one at
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
421-419 RBD Newtown Bend Sandbar Long beautiful sandbar at low and medium water levels, possible picnic and campsites found along entire length. Newtown sizzles in the summer sun like a slice of fatback in the griddle, and shimmers like an alaskan snowfield by the winter moonlight. In any season it
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
423 Diamond Cut-Off Below LeTourneau the canoeist or kayaker enters a five mile southerly stretch and then rounds a right angle bend at Newtown which resolves itself in a northwesterly direction. What was previously a tail wind becomes a side wind or head wind, and vice versa. After all the
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
405-401 RBD Coffee Point Dikes Great low and medium water camping amongst clumps of dense willow topped dunes, arranged esthetically around the entire length of this bend. Best camping between 10 and 20VG, but still possible up to 25. All islands go completely under around 30VG.
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
404 RBD Yucatan Ditch For a safari-like run into the Mississippi River floodplain replete with fishes, amphibians and winged creatures, make a short detour up Yucatan Ditch. Paddle quietly and you will make some remarkable animal encounters. Keep your camera handy. If the river is falling, the ditch runs out.