St. Francis to Helena
9-mile low water adventure, Saturday June 24, 2023
We are partnering with the Mississippi River State Park this Saturday, June 24th, for a low water look at the beautiful 9-mile stretch of river from the mouth of the St. Francis River to the Helena Harbor. The river is unusually low for this time of year (forecast to be around 3 on the Helena Gage), so the giant sandbars will be even bigger, and the gravel bar fossil beds even more extensive. Get a first-hand look at the wonderland of Prairie Point Towhead -- (AKA Buck Island) -- in all of it's low water expansiveness -- full of pockets of life, blue holes, mud holes, geologic accumulations (petrified wood, amber, crinoids, megafauna fossils), steamboat relics, industrial trash, waterfowl habitat, coyote tracks, deer tracks, turtle homeland, and endless undulating sandbars, inlets and peninsulas. *Note: The interior least tern is nesting. No walking in nesting areas please! Must be physically fit, and okay in hot sunny conditions. Dress for the weather (hot & sunny), wear a sunhat and sun-protective clothing, and shoes that can get muddy and wet. Pack sun screen, 2 water bottles, snacks, and a lunch. Good swimming along the way. We'll pack watermelons for all. Don't step on least tern nests on sandbars. See below for complete pack list. To register, call the Mississippi River State Park at (870) 295-4040.
Saturday, June 24, 2023 / 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. CANOE THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER Meeting Place: 9am Helena Harbor Boat Ramp (near boardwalk) -OR- 10am Mouth of the St. Francis Boat Ramp End Place: 5pm Helena Harbor Boat Ramp (near boardwalk) 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Admission: $125.00 Join Mississippi River State Park and Quapaw Canoe Company for a day on the Mississippi River. Everyone will paddle together with guides from Quapaw and a staff member from Mississippi River State Park in a couple of 14-person voyageur style canoes. No previous experience necessary. You will travel 9 miles on the Mississippi River with stops along the way for exploring, swimming, birding, beach combing, or just taking in your surroundings. We will make a 2-3 hour stop on Buck Island for lunch and exploring. Fee includes guide, outfitting, insurance coverage for each participant, shuttle back to your vehicles at the end of the day, snacks and water. You will spend around 5 hours Floating the Mississippi River in a 29-foot voyageur canoe that transport you back to a simpler time when the rivers were the highways of the vast land that would become the United States of America. To register, call the park at (870) 295-4040. For more about trip, go to Arkansas State Parks For more about guides & outfitter, go to Quapaw Canoe Company
Schedule: Meet: 9am Helena Harbor Boat Ramp (near boardwalk) -OR- 10am Mouth of the St. Francis Boat Ramp Shuttle to Mouth of the St. Francis River Paddle: Board Canoes at Mouth of the St. Francis River and start downstream 1pm Lunch: Prairie Point Towhead (Buck Island) 1-2pm: exploration of top end 2pm: reload canoes, paddle to bottom of island 3-4pm explore bottom end of island 5pm: Helena Harbor End: 5pm Helena Harbor Boat Ramp (near boardwalk)
Pack in Daypack or Drybag: Each person should pack: -waterbottles -snacks -lunch -sun protection -bug protection -shoes that can get muddy and wet (or go barefoot) Optional: -cell phone -camera -bird book -binoculars -swim gear -towel Note: Pack any electronics in dry bag, dry box, or zip lock bags Water Bottle Refill: We’ll pack a 5-gal jug of water to refill your personal water bottles. Wear: Dress for the weather (hot & sunny), wear a sunhat and sun-protective clothing, and shoes that can get muddy and wet.
Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 910
"Voice of the Lower Mississippi River"
Memphis, TN ~ Helena, AR ~ Clarksdale, MS ~ Vicksburg, MS
Photos & Text (c) 2023 John Ruskey