St. Louis to Caruthersville
951 LBD Wickliffe Cross (Jefferson Hill Memorial Cross) Kayaker Jerry Bell “married the Mississippi” when he threw his old wedding band in the water and swore to “honor and protect” his newlywed below this 90 foot tall cross officially known as the Jefferson Hill Memorial Cross. Jerry and his pipe-fitter
St. Louis to Caruthersville
951 LBD Wickliffe Docks and Wharfing Give wide berth for docked barges and service boat activity left bank descending as you’re paddling past Wickliffe. Service boats often make steep crashing waves that are more difficult to maneuver through than towboat waves.
St. Louis to Caruthersville
951 LBD Wicliffe Bluff (1st Kentucky Bluff) As you paddle downstream from the confluence and scan the Kentucky shoreline your eye will be attracted to a splash of yellows and oranges in cliff lines falling off the top of the verdant hills. This is the Wickliffe Bluff, the first of
St. Louis to Caruthersville
952 RBD New Madrid Floodway Inflow Crevasse This is the “Blow Out Stretch” where the levee was blasted sky high to provide relief to the people of Cairo Illinois in the Great Flood of 2011. It worked, the water dropped 2.7 feet off the Cairo levee, and probably saved
St. Louis to Caruthersville
952 RBD Bird’s Blue Hole Bird’s Blue Hole is found over the riverbank and a mile across the fields to the levee. It is so big and deep they built the levee around it. This blue hole is a remnant of the 1927 and 1937 Floods.
St. Louis to Caruthersville
952 LBD Wickliffe Boat Ramp Located in between Economy Boat Store and the floating drydock of John F. Beasley Construction Co, the entrance to this ramp is oftentimes hidden behind waiting towboats and barges, but makes a good place to quickly pull off river and access land. Not recommended for
St. Louis to Caruthersville
952.6 LBD Quaker Oats Light On the Lower Mississippi, navigation lights are placed and maintained by the U. S. Coast Guard. Each light has a Mile Board on the frame that supports it, which enables paddlers to check their location by referring to the river mile locations shown on
St. Louis to Caruthersville
953-952 LBD Wickliffe Reach This is a popular place for tows to tie on in preparation for long distance journeys up and down the river. If you go left bank keep a safe 100 yards away from any fleeted barges, especially in high water or strong tail winds. Anchored barges
St. Louis to Caruthersville
954 - 953 RBD Birds Point Dikes A series of sandbars are found along the dikes right bank descending and above, along forest edge, for good camping, or shelter from south wind. The last sandbar at RBD 953 is the highest, biggest and best.
St. Louis to Caruthersville
954.5 Ohio/Middle Miss River Confluence: Start of the Lower Mississippi River Paddlers, welcome to the Lower Mississippi River! The Ohio River on the average delivers twice as much water to this point than the Mississippi. Which means you are now on the biggest volume river in North America,
Memphis to Helena
663 RBD Helena-West Helena Mark Twain said that Helena occupies “the prettiest situations on the Mississippi River…” Twain should have also added: “and the driest...” Thanks to Crowley’s Ridge Helena has the distinction of being the only remaining population of any size to be found directly on the main
Memphis to Helena
663 RBD Helena Harbor Paddler’s Note: the most prominent landmark in the Helena area is the Helena Bridge, but don’t go there (yet)! The Helena Harbor is almost two miles above the bridge. If you’re looking to make a landing for access to boat ramps & downtown