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Marquette island offers one of the most reliable highwater campsites on the entire Middle Miss (along with Ste. Genevieve’s Moro Island, Rockwood island, Brown’s Bar, and a few others). Great spot but surrounded by industry on the top end. Plenty of other locations in bcak channels and backside
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Warning: Two dangerous blockages to negotiate: 1) a lowhead dam at McClure and 2) a tall dike near bottom end. No passage below 16 CGG. A low water bridge/dam at McClure creates 3 foot hydraulic keeper waterfall at 17 CGG. Picayune Chute is best paddled above 25CGG, but be
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Windy Bar Island is a five mile long island completely protected by a Missouri Conservation Area by the same name with approximately 705 acres of riverfront forest and sand bar habitat. Schenimann Chute, a river side-channel, is located on the western side of the island and the main channel of
stlouis-to-caruthersville
11 mile long Hanging Dog Island has migrated and joined the LBD Illinois shore, but returns to island status at flood stage. You can locate isolated campsites along the length of Hanging Dog Island. Spectacular views of the tall bluffs around Trail of Tears State Park. If it’s that
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Braxton Barden and Mark River camped on Jones Towhead in low water, Nov 2014, and made this report: Following the Liberty Bar archipelago is Jones Towhead. The tip of the towhead is separated from the main island even during low water conditions. This isolated top portion of the island is
stlouis-to-caruthersville
During low water good camping could be found in along most of the length of the Dike Field Opposite Cherokee, a floodplain stretch, which starts at the base of the Pawnee Hills, Illinois side, and runs down to Menard Corrections Facility, the Illinois State Pen. As the water rises the
stlouis-to-caruthersville
One mile wide and two miles long, Moro Island offers some of the best camping anywhere along the Middle Mississippi, especially at medium water levels or higher. It is the first island below St. Louis that has big sandbars even at flood stage (30SLG). The best high water camping is
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Foster Island is no longer an island these days except at flood stage, having been silted in by the whims of the river and vigorous channel maintenance by man. There are about ten miles of stubby dikes placed along the shore about every half mile. At low water you will
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Best camping below Mosenthein Island is found left bank descending (against the Illinois shore) below the JB Bridge, at the top end of the Carroll Islands (two consecutive islands, each similarly shaped and about a mile long), where a generous bluff of creamy white sand is found thrown up against
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Opposite the River des Peres and downstream of mile 171 are a series of L-shaped wing dams and 2 straight line dams around which sandbars emerge during low water and create some beautiful low-water camping, while medium water camping can be found against the riverbank below these rock walls. This
stlouis-to-caruthersville
As it flows past the Coast Guard Station the channel crosses over to the Missouri side of the river RBD, and you will want to do the same to avoid the giant Marquette Transportation fleeting area on the Illinois side. Every Marquette tow bears the insignia of a solo paddler
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Long Narrow Island behind Mosenthein, now connected to Chouteau Island. During Low/Med water a giant sandbar forms in the back channel against Gabaret Island (opposite the bottom end of Mosenthein Is). This bar makes good picnicking and camping if the weather is friendly and the winds calm. In inclement