Canoeing the Mississippi River in St. Louis
3-minute read
The convergence of America’s two biggest rivers, the Mississippi and the Missouri, is just north of St. Louis, Missouri. In this video, Aqua Bound Ambassador Ken Whiting takes a solo canoe trip through the city to enjoy the views from the water.
Watch Ken’s video below to learn more about this bustling city and what it’s like to paddle there
St. Louis: Convergence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers
Together, the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers cover 3,710 miles—the fourth longest river system in the world (after the Nile, the Amazon and the Yangtze).
There’s plenty to do in this popular urban center, some of which is highlighted in the video above. St. Louis is home to pro hockey team St. Louis Blues and pro baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals. It hosts the National Blues Museum and world-class St. Louis Aquarium.
The City’s most famous landmark is the Gateway Arch. This 630-foot-tall structure symbolizes St. Louis’ role as the “gateway to the American West” during the 1800s. Completed in 1965, it’s the dominant feature of Gateway Arch National Park.
The park with the Arch sits right alongside the Mississippi River, making it a very cool part of any paddle adventure there on the river.
“Keep Your Head on a Swivel”
Canoeing on this stretch of the Mississippi River isn’t for beginning paddlers unless you’re with a guide or touring company.
Big Muddy Adventures is the touring company Ken went through. Here’s how they describe paddling these big rivers near St. Louis:
“[It’s] for those who are taking a professionally guided and outfitted trip or who have advanced paddling skills and big moving water experience…The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers are the largest moving bodies of water on our side of the Earth. They are inherently dangerous due to their size, the fluctuation of water levels and the presence of various forms of challenging navigation hazards.”
Those navigational hazards include much larger boats on the water. As Ken says, “You need to keep your head on a swivel” so you’re not caught by surprise by anything in this unique water environment.
Anytime you can paddle in an urban area, though, you always get a unique vantage point to see the city center and any landmarks, like the famous Arch here in St. Louis. Another cool part of paddling urban areas is the waters-eye view of any bridges you float under.
If St. Louis has been on your list of “Destinations to See”, be sure to schedule a canoe trip with Big Muddy Adventures while you’re there. They have several offerings like: Pedal/Paddle, multi-day trips, Full Moon Float, Riverfront Adventure and more.
Learn more about everything St Louis has to offer at Explore St. Louis.
About Ken’s Canoe and Paddle
In this video, Ken paddles the 14-foot Clipper Prospector solo canoe. Clipper is a Canadian brand well known for its high-quality boats. The Prospector is designed for up to Class III whitewater and is known for its responsiveness.
This canoe is available in four different material options: Fiberglass, Kevlar®, Ultralight and Kevlar®/Duraflex, depending on your canoeing environment and budget.
To paddle this solo canoe, Ken uses our Sting Ray Hybrid kayak paddle. This is our most popular low-angle kayak paddle, recently redesigned for even better performance. It’s available in full carbon, fiberglass or a hybrid carbon/fiberglass combo.
(All photos courtesy of Ken Whiting/Heliconia)
Do you have paddle questions our friendly Customer Service Team can help you with today? Contact them: 715-755-3405 • [email protected]
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