Mile 179.2 - Poplar Street Bridge

John Ruskey

20 Apr 2026 � 2 min read

179.2 Poplar Street Bridge

Some paddlers put in at the Arch and start their journey paddling under the Poplar Street Bridge and continuing on downstream. If you are starting here in the Rivergator, jump back to Safe Paddling through the St. Louis Harbor for tips on how to safely make your run through this most dangerous stretch of river.

Paddling Route Downstream of Arch

Leaving the Arch the river is lined with miles of fleeted barges, and so you have no choice but stay out in the middle of the navigation channel. Sure, you can paddle off to one side or the other. You will still have plenty of room to get out of the way of tows and any other commercial traffic in the middle of the main channel. But it’s a balance act. But don’t stray too close to fleeted barges on either side. They are anchored and hence sitting still. But the force of water against their topside will easily flip you over. Besides fleeting, you will also encounter a thick concentration of docks, piers, terminals, wharves, and dry-docks. How far down? Sometimes you will have to stay middle channel from the Arch all the way down below the mouth of the River Des Peres, almost ten miles down. Mike Clark, the expert guide and paddler from St. Louis, calls this section “The Gauntlet.” “If you make it through the gauntlet,” he says, “you will be good to go down the rest of the river.” Ten miles downstream, after you pass the last of fleeted barges and endless wharfing, you can wander back towards shoreline on one side or the other. Past Arsenal Island (175.5-173.5 LBD) most river flow goes RBD towards the bluffs. If you are trying to make some distance before the end of the day, follow the fast water and do the same. On the other hand, if you are in no particular rush, and intend to make a stop on the first island (Carroll) downstream of the JB Bridge, stay LBD in the slow water.

Running The St. Louis Harbor downstream of the Arch follows the dictionary definition for “Running The Gauntlet:” 1. To go through an intimidating or dangerous crowd, place, or experience in order to reach a goal. 2. To undergo the punishment of receiving blows while running between two rows of men with sticks. On the river you have to paddle ten miles through towboats, workboats, wharves, docks, buoys, anchors, steel cables, choppy waves, weird currents, and many other challenges which might be exacerbated by wind, darkness and your state of mind. The waves slap you from side to side as they ricochet back and forth between passing tows and fleeted barges. Hard steel edges make for bigger choppier waves. You, the lonely paddler amidst the industrial megalith must do your best to stay upright amongst the waves. The goal: the other side of the JB Bridge, the open free-flowing “Wild Miles” found beyond the harbor. As always, impatience is your worst enemy on the river. Stay on shore at the Arch if any of the following conditions apply: a) If the wind is blowing 15mph or higher from any southerly quadrants, or 20mph or higher from any other quadrant; b) if you have three hours or less before sunset; or c) if you are not feeling good about things (sailor’s sixth sense).

More from this section

Preamble:

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

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

Mile 57.0 - Interstate 57 Bridge

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

Mile 10.2 - 10.2 - 7.7 LBD Boston Bar

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

Mile 10.2 - 10.2 - 7.7 LBD Boston Chute

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.

Mile 13.0 - LBD Cache River Diversion Canal

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