Mile 388.0 LBD — Cottage Bend Islands

Cottage Bend Islands are visible from upstream by the bluffs of sand on the tops of the islands in low and medium water) and are found left bank descending opposite Brown’s Field Islands a couple of miles below Bondurant.  These two willow-topped babies are cradled by the enormous Rodney Island No 111 which has immigrated to the Mississippi shore.  Rodney becomes an island during high water and its back channel reopens creating the passage for spectacular exploration.

A small rounded bluff of sand forms at the top of the highest island and is a beautiful picnic site and possible campsite, and would afford good shelter in any southerly or southeasterly storms or winds.  The sandy-bottomed willow forests at the top of this island sets a beautiful all weather location, although it is dry up to bank full (40 NG) and then gets submerged. 

There is nothing like camping in a willow forest on a bed of willow leaves surrounded by the graceful tree trunks of these benevolent trees.  They provide shade close to the river in the summer, and wind shelter in the winter.  A mature willow forest forms open arbors that provide ample air circulation, blessing you with dark green shade, and enough air flow in between the trunks to wick off your hot body and simultaneously keep the mosquitoes at bay.  Everything about the willow is pleasing and beautiful to behold, its wood, its roots, its leaves, its flowers.  When you burn willow the smoke is an incense, when you carve it a blonde wood singed with cinnamon grains and blue/green stains is revealed.