River Log section: Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
300.2 - 298 RBD Miles Bar Towhead Miles Bar and Hog Point belly up against each other side-by-side like Gemini the Twins (rising in the fall evening sky near Orion), and are separated only by the main channel of the big river. In general Hog Point Towhead will be
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
299 - 298 LBD Hog Point Towhead Hog Point Towhead, a bony ridge rising high above the main channel making a natural levee and ideal placement for voyageur tents and hammocks. Behind the tall sandy edge a promenade like a Greek entrance hall leads downwards at a slight angle into
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
302.5 - 298 LBD Hog Point Sandbar Extensive beaches a mile wide and four miles long accompany you left bank descending (at low water) against the Angola shores along the southwest side of the giant round bend curling around Angola State Pen. As the water rises the beaches grow
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
302.8 RBD Torras Landing A giant bluff of sand is thrown high up the riverbank and into the trees behind at Torras Landing making a good camp at high water, and shelter from any westerly weather, but the proximity to the Lock and Dam will also mean a lot
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
304 RBD Carr Point Directly above the opening to the Old River Lock and Dam a beautiful flat bluff of sand is found RBD with enough room for a comfy campsite in an unusual location. You might not find much peace here from all of the passing towboats, but you
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
303.7 Old River Lock and Dam: Entrance to the Atchafalaya River Go main channel around Shreve’s Bar for access to the Atchafalaya River, your best route to the Gulf of Mexico. Also: direct access upstream to the Red River, Ouachita River, Bayou Bartholomew, and all other tributaries upstream.
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
304.5 - 303 LBD Shreve’s Bar Leaving the Tunica Hills at Clark Creek behind and entering Louisiana the river expands to its maximum mile-and-a-half wide as if breathing in deep and opening up its broad chest, and enters a long straight stretch that can be a white water
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
306 - 294 LBD Angola State Penitentiary The river circumscribes Angola State Penitentiary in an almost perfect semi-circle, with a radius of four miles, the center being the headquarters of the prison complex. Using simple geometry, C=2piR this would give a circumference of approximately 25 miles, divided by 2
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
306 LBD Angola Ferry Private ferry for employees of Angola State Penitentiary. Watch for cross-channel crossings at shift changes. If you camp on Shreve’s Bar their lights burn brightly upstream. Note: the Angola Ferry is no longer located at 300.5 (above Hog Point Towhead).
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
306 - 302 Back Channel of Shreve’s Bar The Back Channel of Shreve’s Bar is always flowing strong, and is the route of preference for paddlers, even at low water. And as much for aesthetics as for practicality. Aesthetically it is always more pleasing to paddle the back
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
306 - 302 RBD Main Channel of Shreve’s Bar Meanwhile, on the other side of the Shreve’s Island, the main channel is constricted, often crowded with towboats, and doesn’t seem to flow any faster. If you do take the main channel, watch carefully for tows unexpectedly appearing
Vicksburg to Baton Rouge
306 LBD Welcome to Louisiana! At the lower end of the Fort Adams Reach, just above Shreve’s Cut-Off, around mile 306 the river leaves Mississippi for good along its east bank and is completely enveloped by Louisiana, the last state along the Mississippi River. While you have already entered