Atchafalaya River

Mile 25.1 - RBD Elba Landing

John Ruskey

20 Apr 2026

25.1 RBD Elba Landing

Best Campsite Yet! The river has carved an interesting landscape at Elba Landing, a collection of humps and depressions which create a rich topography for wildlife, and the best camping yet on the Atchafalaya River. Dry up to 34SG. Long flat shelves with plenty of room for exploring, birding, tracking and beach-combing. Sometimes sandy, sometimes muddy, depending on the previous highwater. Great camping at medium or high water levels, but sometimes gooey along the river at lower levels. Make landing and climb up the dunes to clean sand above.

More from this section

Author’s Preface:

Author’s Preface: Welcome the the Rivergator: Paddler’s Guide to the Atchafalaya! This major section of the Rivergator is split into seven different parts: 1) Preamble, 2) Introduction, 3) Mississippi River Access to Atchafalaya, 4) Lower Old River Canal, 5) Atchafalaya River, 6) Atchafalaya Delta and 7) Appendix. On

Mile 303.8 - Old River Lock and Dam: Entrance to the Atchafalaya River

303.8 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 Bartolomew, and all other tributaries upstream.

Mile 304.5 - 304.5 - 303 LBD Shreve’s Bar

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

Mile 306.0 - Miles 306-294: LBD Angola State Penitentiary

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

Mile 306.0 - LBD Angola Ferry

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).

Mile 306.0 - Miles 306-302: Back Channel of Shreve’s Bar

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