Mile 255.5 - LBD Thompson Creek

255.5 LBD Thompson Creek

Thompson Creek is the last major drainage entering the Mississippi River. Where it meets the Mississippi two beautiful sandbars are formed, in a gorgeous stretch of river full undulating lines of forest, creamy sandbars, the sky and the river. The bar downstream of the confluence is smaller than Fancy Point Sandbar ((above the confluence) but just as beautiful, and more protected. Up to 25BG you can find nice mounds of sand close to protecting forests of mature willows. One precaution: if the wind is out of the east you will want to avoid this location because of the nearby proximity of the Georgia Pacific Port Hudson Paper Mill. (Keep reading below for why!)

Of Historical note, Thompson Creek leads up to Port Hudson which during the Civil War was the scene of the longest siege, 48 days, in US military history. After the fall of New Orleans in April 1862, Confederate troops fought to maintain control of the Mississippi River and the Red River from their encampment on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River at Port Hudson. 7,500 Confederate troops stood against 30,000-40,000 Union soldiers and numerous US Navy Gunboats from May 23 to July 9, 1863. This long and gruesome battle is commemorated at the Port Hudson State Historic Site accessible from Hwy 61 in Jackson, LA. Over the past 150 years, giving a dramatic example of the incredibly dynamic nature of the Mississippi River, the river has shifted a solid 2 miles to the west of where it was during the Civil War. The bluffs at Port Hudson which were once the banks of the Mississippi River on which the siege at Port Hudson was fought are now not reachable by paddlers from the Mississippi River. Even still, Thompson Creek makes for an interesting opportunity to explore this fascinating area. (LMRK)