stlouis-to-caruthersville
Mosenthein Island offers the best and most reliable camping in the St. Louis area in between the Missouri Confluence and the JB Bridge below. Once past Mosenthein (and adjacent Gabaret Island) you will have to paddle a very challenging 20 miles down “the Gauntlet,” the dangerous Port of St. Louis,
stlouis-to-caruthersville
At 16 feet SLG advanced paddlers can easily negotiate the Chain of Rocks by staying in the broad central tongue of flow found to the right of the old intake structures and riding the rollers over the break. The biggest tongue of water seems to form to the right of
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Big Muddy Mike Clark unofficially designated the stretch of free-flowing river between Duck island and the bottom of Gabaret Island as the “Big Muddy Wild & Scenic Section” (i.e.: the river channel not going through the Chain of Rocks Canal). Paddling this wild stretch involves negotiating the notorious Chain
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Duck Island is a one mile tall forested island with sandy ledge on south (bottom) end good for low, medium and even high water camps. Giant sandbar top end at low water gradually disappears as the river rises and is nowhere to be seen at high water (above 25 on
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Columbia Bottom Boat Ramp is a good quality, low angle concrete boat ramp dropping into the muddy Missouri River 3 miles above the confluence. Fancy concrete outhouses. Paved parking lot. Turnaround at top of ramp. Paddlers will have to jockey for position with fishermen. Arrange shuttle for any overnights or
stlouis-to-caruthersville
This five mile stretch of river is an ungrateful way to say goodbye to the Upper Mississippi. But it’s an accurate precursor of what’s to come downstream in and around the St. Louis Harbor, and then recapitulated big time another thousand miles downstream in the Greater Port of
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Towboats and Buoys Buoys: Red “Nun” Buoys = LBD navigation channel Green “Can” Buoys = RBD navigation channel Towboats: Upstreamers = towboats going up the river Downstreamers = towboats going down the river Towboats and buoys provide endless fascination for Lower Mississippi River paddlers, but also present two of your gravest dangers. Red “nun”
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Not much remains of Island 15, just a few isolated sandbars at low water which diminish rapidly in rising waters, and are completely gone by 20 CuG. As you come around Island No 15, and into Little Prairie Bend, watch carefully for upstream and downstream tows, and tune into VHF
stlouis-to-caruthersville
After coming through the bend around Kennedy Point/Lee Towhead, paddlers can stay left bank for the long run behind Island 14 with great opportunities for bird watching and other wildlife. There are some open bars around 855 against the forested banks at low and medium water levels, but you
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Below Cherokee the river rolls into a distinctive S-shape formed by Little Cypress Bend revolving 180 degrees westward, followed by the Chute of Island 14, which revolves 180 degrees eastward. Total distance through the big S is around 15 miles. Low-lying bar of Island No 13 fans outwards from Cherokee
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Few things impressed early voyagers on the Lower Mississippi more than the beautiful tree for which this bend was named. In Little Cypress Bend and other areas. the bald cypress grew to tremendous heights and sizes. The spreading branches, with light feathery foliage, and the massive trunks surrounded by the
stlouis-to-caruthersville
Like many of the giant sandbars in this area, Stewart Towhead is very wide, shalllow and exposed. Great picnic site, but not recommended for camping in winds or oncoming storms. There is one small (tiny in relation to the bar) clump of scrubby willows set on a medium high sandy