Mile 404.2 - RBD Yucatan Ditch

404.2 RBD Yucatan Ditch

For an other-worldly glimpse into the ragged and primeval Delta jungle, stay right bank descending below Middle Ground Island (through Yucatan Cut-Off of 1929) and look for a narrow opening through the scruffy woods. This skinny channel closes off around 10VG, but for paddlers this is no problem. Ditch your canoe or kayak as close as you can to the opening and walk across the sand. Good excuse to stretch your legs and it will be just as interesting. The opening to Yucatan Ditch is located at the base of a skinny willow-topped peninsula that ends just above the top of Coffee Point Dike #2 at mile 404.2. This dike is almost directly opposite the Claiborne County (Port Gibson) Harbor, but a little downstream. Entering the Ditch immediately puts you in another world. Paddle quietly and you might see beaver, snakes, turtles, and alligators. The birdlife is fantastically rich here, waders like the Roseate Spoonbill and everything else from egrets to herons to storks will be found. Keep your camera handy. If the river is falling, the ditch runs out. If it’s rising, the ditch runs in. Steady river, no flow. Regardless, you can paddle as far as you feel like paddling, then turn around and paddle back out.