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The Dorena Towhead rises out of the river bank right in a long shelf of sand at low and medium water levels, with generous but narrow sandbars along the forests in high water, all the way to bankfull and even a few slivers of sand here and there at high
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Great campsites can be found all around Beckwith Bend Bar at all water levels up to bank full 35 CG, but the only protection is found in a small piece of woods isolated on a hump of sand at top end, near LBD 925.7, below the 1st dike. Lots
stlouis-to-caruthersville
The top end of the back channel is cut off by a long wall dike angled upstream which reaches halfway across the channel and forcefully shoves the majority of the river away from its old channel into what used to be the back channel of the island. Due to several
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Wolf Island is the first “big island” below the mouth of the Ohio River, with a tall bluff of sand that forms along top end and is dry up to flood stage, and a long, long tail of sand that emerges in low water levels. The tail extends a full
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Below the last of Ingram fleeting along mile 935.3 paddlers following the Kentucky shore left bank descending will find an eddy and some sandbars and a low place in the woods. This is the top of an old island that has joined the bank, except in high water when
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Columbus-Belmont State Park sits on top of the next spectacular display of loess geology at the 2nd Kentucky Loess Bluff. This bluff and the nearby town of Columbus was once called “Iron Bank” for the striking red coloring staining the cliffs. Paddlers can make landing at bluff base and secure
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Adventuresome paddlers ready for back channel exploring should look for the obvious opening through the forested riverbank around RBD mile 943. Slow flow at 25, gentle at 30, strong at 35. Five mile bend around the bulky shape of old Island No. 2, the 2nd island so numbered by Zadok
stlouis-to-caruthersville
A small indication of what’s to come downstream, Island No. 1 rises to its full height with its best camping below the small forest of scrubby willows near mile 948. Note: On the Lower Mississippi River, make sure there are no oncoming storms, and no forecast for wind, before
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Buck Island was saved from auction block by the American Land Conservancy in 2008 and is now protected by a permanent wetlands easement through the NRCS, which means that it will never be forested again, and our children will one day enjoy the big woods that used to predominate in
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Three mile long island (at low water) topped with a young willow/cottonwood/sycamore forest with beautiful camping all around. In high water levels best camping is found top end above the trees, and there is ample water flowing through the back channel. (Cutoff resident Rick Howe recalled catching over
memphis-to-helena
Shoo Fly is what paddlers have come to name a dynamic low-lying open bar that forms below the Tunica Runout and is only visible in low water conditions, and goes completely under around 20HG. Paddlers should avoid camping here except in the most perfect of conditions. To be caught in
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The main channel of the Mississippi explodes out of Walnut Bend and into a five mile southerly run through Hardin Cut-Off towards the mouth of the St. Francis. Here you will get your first views of Crowley’s Ridge, which meets the Mississippi at Helena. The faint line of trees