Just below the Basket Bar light you can duck into a steep-walled ravine leading to Lost Lake. Lost Lake is the all that remains today of the Commerce Cut-Off (see below). Deep swampy forests full of vines and exotic flowers fill this ravine making it feel like the land of the lost. Intermittent connection to Lost Lake through a narrow drainage, steep and muddy at low water, passable by canoe/kayak in higher water levels.
663 RBD Helena-West Helena Mark Twain said that Helena occupies “the prettiest situations on the Mississippi River…” Twain should have also added: “and the driest...” Thanks to Crowley’s Ridge Helena has the distinction of being the only remaining population of any size to be found directly on the main
663 RBD Helena Harbor Paddler’s Note: the most prominent landmark in the Helena area is the Helena Bridge, but don’t go there (yet)! The Helena Harbor is almost two miles above the bridge. If you’re looking to make a landing for access to boat ramps & downtown
665.5 LBD Trotter’s Pass A beautiful side trip into a primeval world where you can paddle as far as you feel comfortable doing so. Round Trip: paddle into Trotter’s Pass and then turn around and paddle back and continue your journey downstream the main channel. How to
668-663 RBD Buck Island (Prairie Point Towhead) Buck Island was saved from auction block by the American Land Conservancy in 2008 and is now protected by a permanent wetlands easement through the NRCS, which means that it will never be forested again, and our children will one day enjoy the
668 RB (a view of) Crowley’s Ridge D As you are approaching the top end of Buck Island you will be welcomed to the area with a grand view of Crowley’s Ridge. Helena is located at the Southern end of Crowley’s Ridge, “Where the Ridge meets the
669 LBD Flower Lake Dikes Above 20HG (medium water) you can paddle behind several narrow islands found on the Mississippi shoreline left bank descending which are formed over the St. Francis and Flower Lake Dikes. Stay LBD and paddle hard to cut into the narrow openings leading behind these islands