River Log section: Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
Vicksburg Vicksburg marks a significant change of geography for the Lower Mississippi River paddler. Vicksburg heralds the end of the Mississippi Delta and the beginning of the Mississippi Loess Bluffs. From here down to St. Francisville there are no continuous levees on the Mississippi side because of the high ground
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
363.5 LBD Natchez-Under-the-Hill Steep concrete ramp diving into the river at the base of the Natchez Bluffs, the best place to make a landing and a visit to the classy river town of Natchez. After you make landing and get your land legs, stroll up to the top of
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
365 RBD Opening to Old River -- Bottom End (Marengo Bend Lake) Only access to Marengo Lake/Old River. Public boat launch 8 miles around the outside bend of the lake (west side). The water never gets too low to paddle into the bottom end of Marengo Lake for a
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
367.5 RBD Opening to Old River -- Top End (Marengo Bend Lake) Previous to 1933 the Mississippi made a giant curve around Marengo Bend into the rich Louisiana bottomlands before curving back to slam into the bluffs at Natchez. The Giles Cutoff changed that, resulting in the 10-mile long
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
367 LBD Devil’s Punchbowl “Far in the past, a great cup-shaped hole, about five hundred feet wide, had formed in the soft earth of the river bluffs. Slowly it seemed to widen, as gullies formed along its sides and rows of trees hurtled into its depths. Thickly grown, it
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
367 - 365 LBD Remnants of Cypress Forest In low and medium water levels, the stumps of giant cypress trees can be seen at the base of the bluffs along the left bank descending and are the remnants of the forests found here that stalled the opening of the Giles
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
368 - 366 LBD Bluff Bars (Note: We’re talking here about sandbars, not alcohol bars. Your thirst will soon be satiated at Natchez-Under-the-Hill Saloon, or other nearby establishments!) At medium and low water levels the adventurous paddler can pull into some highly unusual ledges of sand and mud and
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
369 - 367.5 RBD Rifle Point A huge sloping sandbar bluff emerges in low water at Rifle Point, often littered with giant logs and piles of fascinating driftwood, and affords a final choice for good all water level camping before coming into Natchez.
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
369 Highline The powerline crossing towboat pilots refer to as “The Highline” marks the last five miles necessary to reach Natchez Under the Hill.
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
370 LBD Greens Bayou As you paddle downriver towards Natchez look carefully left bank descending and if you catch it right you will see a narrow intriguing opening cluttered with overhanging willows and steep muddy banks (in med or low water). But if you blink you will miss it! No
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
373 - 371 LBD Fairchild (Skull) Island Like all Mississippi River islands Fairchild grows and diminishes with the water level. At high water it is a one-and-a-half mile long willow topped island with scrubby bottoms that are impenetrable in places with swamp privet and vines. At medium its back channel
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
381 - 374 RBD - Waterproof Island Waterproof Island is two giant islands, each several thousand acres big, that have formed like twins, one hugging the other, parallel to the main channel of the river. Each Island is long and narrow, so long that you’ll think it’s just