Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
236 - 233 Mulatto Bend (Wilkerson Point) Mulatto Bend makes a severe obtuse angle around Wilkerson Point that turns the river “about-right” so that you enter paddling slightly northeasterly and exit due south with an incredible heart-stopping view downstream. Paddlers brace yourself for this paradigm change. Gone are the endless
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
235.2 LBD Baton Rouge Harbor Also called the “Baton Rouge Barge Canal.” Not really a harbor in the way most people would think of a harbor, but merely a series of industrial docks, none of which provide public access. The boat ramp shown here on the USACE 2007 maps
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
235.2 LBD Baton Rouge North Wastewater Treatment Plant Outfall A small bayou flowing parallel with the river from Southern University meets the river at the mouth of the Baton Rouge Harbor. In times of low water, this land is a beautiful sandy point covered in willows leading all the
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
235.8 LBD Devil’s Swamp Bayou The main entrance to Devil’s Swamp is through a deep steep muddy canyon (at low water) cut into the left bank shore, below and behind all of the fleeted barges near mile 235.8 LBD. If you are interested in seeing Devil’
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
235.8 LBD Bayou Baton Rouge The bayou running through Devil’s Swamp is not named on the 2007 USACE river chart but is named Bayou Baton Rouge on most other maps. Confusingly, the USACE charts name a different waterbody Bayou Baton Rouge which is called Monte Sano Bayou on
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
239 - 235 Allendale Reach (Thomas Point to Wilkerson Point) After zig-zagging through the hairpin corner Thomas Point the paddler comes around like a billiard ball into the final run downstream into the top end of the busiest port in North America (the port of greater Baton Rouge/New Orleans)
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
239 - 235 LBD Allendale Reach: Fleeted Barges Stay with the faster water right bank, and avoid the fleeting petro and grain barges left bank descending 238 -235. In other words, three miles of fleeted barges, or places that tows might getting ready to pull over and detach or re-attach
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
241 - 239 LBD Thomas Point (Mallet Bend) Warning: Hairpin Bend! Blind Corner! As you enter Mallet Bend around Thomas Point pay special attention to any signs of upstream traffic. Ride the inside of the curve LBD as tightly as possible so that you can run to the shore quickly
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
245 LBD Devil’s Swamp Bayou Note: the main entrance to Devil’s Swamp is at the south end of the bayou, ten miles downstream left bank descending, below and behind all of the fleeted barges near mile 235.8 LBD. If you are interested in seeing Devil’s Swamp
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
246.2 RBD Small Dune There is a small dune of yellow-white sand right bank descending as you exit the Profit Island stretch of river, that could make for a good emergency camp in southerly or southwesterly winds, but is open to the north wind. In any northerly winds continue
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
246.5 - 245.8 LBD Sandbar at Bottom of Profit Chute As you come around the southwesterly point of Profit Island you will pass a skinny sandbar with camping up to 30 BG, that connects to a long 2-mile sandbar stretching along the entire southern or bottom end of
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
246.5 - 246 LBD Profit Island Chute (Exit) As you exit the Profit Island Chute (if this is the route you have taken) be sure to “look both ways” before re-entering the main channel of the big river. Wait until the coast is clear and then paddle hard for