River Log section: St. Louis to Caruthersville
St. Louis to Caruthersville
848 RBD Trinity Barge Fabrication Plant After leaving the Caruthersville Harbor the downstream canoeist, kayaker or surfer (stand-up-paddlebpard) will soon paddle by a noteworthy river-related industry right bank descending. Trinity Barge Fabrication Plant specializes in large ocean-going barges. Like many ship-builders they launch their finished product by the “slide method.
St. Louis to Caruthersville
849 RBD Mouth of the Caruthersville Harbor There is a primitive landing RBD over rip-rap at mouth of harbor that is often frequented by local fishermen (and women!). This landing is open at all water levels, but best used during higher water levels when the river covers the rip-rap. At
St. Louis to Caruthersville
850 RBD Caruthersville Harbor Boat Ramp (1/2 mile up harbor) Wide Concrete Boat Launch located within the protected waters of the Caruthersville Harbor. Excellent start place for any expedition. Best landing in area. Also 2nd (older) ramp nearby. Don’t leave vehicles overnight; arrange shuttle. Ramp usable at all
St. Louis to Caruthersville
Preamble: I first explored this stretch of river on a 5-month raft trip that began after my high school graduation in 1982. My best friend and I decided that we had enough of traditional schooling, and much to the dismay of our guidance counselors we scuttled all college plans and
St. Louis to Caruthersville
Table of Contents Appendix I - The Lower Missouri River Water Trail Appendix II - Upper Mississippi River Water Trails Appendix III - Mike Clark: Chain of Rocks Appendix IV - Mike Clark: Alton to Arch Appendix V - Over the Chain of Rocks with the Lewis & Clark Appendix
St. Louis to Caruthersville
7.5 Interstate 57 Bridge Vertical Clearance: 107.3 feet minus Cairo Gage. As with all bridges, avoid getting too close to pylons supporting the bridge structure. Water pushes strongly against pylons on top end, and turbulent waters swirl below. 5 - 1.8 LBD Angelo Towhead Angelo Towhead is
St. Louis to Caruthersville
10.2 - 7.7 LBD Boston Bar Boston Bar hugs the left bank descending and creates a moody scene, partly due to the massive piles of driftwood that get mashed deep into its woods. Good low and medium campsites are found at the top end of Boston Bar on
St. Louis to Caruthersville
10.2 - 7.7 LBD Boston Chute You can enjoy a three mile passage through the bottomland forests lining Boston Chute, but be wary of a cross channel dike at bottom end which causes 3 foot whitewater waves in medium water levels.
St. Louis to Caruthersville
13 LBD Cache River Diversion Canal The Cache River used to enter the Ohio River in between Mounds City and Urbandale, both upstream of Cairo, but now it enters the Mississippi 13 miles above Cairo, and about 20 miles from its old mouth. Go figure. Such is the nature of
St. Louis to Caruthersville
13.5 - 11.8 RBD Island No. 29 Island 29 is an active hunting Camp, and accessible by land in low water. As stated above, paddlers should avoid this inhospitable landscape due to steep muddy banks in low water, and claustrophobic forests in high water, except for back channel
St. Louis to Caruthersville
14.3 - 13.5 RBD Island No. 28 Islands 28 and 29 present inhospitable landscapes for paddle weary travelers (due to steep muddy banks in low water, and claustrophobic forests in high), but they make for great off-channel exploration in medium water or higher. Opens up around 15 CGG,
St. Louis to Caruthersville
14.5 - 11.8 Sister Chute Warning: low water dam at bottom end of Sister Chute, at the last dike near mile 12.2. No flow in low water, dangerous drop in medium water, disappears under the flow in high water.