How Long To Canoe Kayak Down The Mississippi?

Mile Zero is a popular destination for kayakers, canoes, and canoe trips upriver. The route is filled with super barges, ocean liners, oil and petrochemical refineries, and traffic. The Mississippi River should be considered not afraid due to its fast speed, which can be completed in less than two months. However, it is recommended to allow at least three months for those unfamiliar with their paddler’s speed.

The Mississippi River’s speed depends on water levels, and most people take about three months to complete the river. Some people may want to take four months or more, but really fast people might be able to do it in less than two months. The speed of the river depends on water levels, and most people take about three months to complete the trip.

Mission Mississippi offers various kayaking options, from leisurely float trips to adventurous canoe trips down the river. There are various activities for everyone’s experience level, from paddleboarding the coast to fishing, bird watching, and lounging on a beach. Check out the Mississippi state paddling website for more information.

The time to beat the record is 18 days, 4 hours, and 51 minutes, with a team of approximately 17 individuals working together towards the common goal. The fastest time to canoe the Mississippi River is 18 days for the entire 2300 miles.

In 2021, Mile Marker Zero, a paddling team led by Millhone and his team, broke the record by completing the trip in 17 days, 19 hours, and 46 minutes. In 2014, Amy and James spent 58 days canoeing the Mississippi River from its source to the Gulf of Mexico, completing the trip in about 2 hours for the average paddler.

In conclusion, the Mississippi River is an exciting and challenging adventure for anyone looking to explore the river.


📹 How long would it take to canoe down the Mississippi River?

How Long Does It Take One Drop Of Water To Travel The Mississippi River 00:24 – How long would it take to canoe down the …


How long to canoe kayak down the mississippi river
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Is it possible to float down the Mississippi river?

With shoulder-length silver hair under a wide-brimmed hat, he’s like a real-life Huck Finn, having spent more than half his life on this legendary waterway. And that’s not an exaggeration. After graduating high school, he and a friend built a 12-by-24′ foot raft and started in Minnesota, making their way south over the course of five months.

“My first time down the Mississippi, which is the experience that changed my entire life, was after high school graduation in 1982. My best friend and I from high school, we built a raft inspired by a couple guys looking for their freedom from the canon of American literature … namely Huck and Jim, you know?” Ruskey tells me. “We’re both circles that did not fit too good in the squares that society wanted to squeeze us through.”

Five months later, they crashed into an island on the river near Clarksdale.

“I didn’t settle down in Mississippi at that point in 1983, but I never got the river out of my blood, and the mud out of my blood, and the sand which stuck behind my ears. I bounced around doing this and that, and eventually ended up back in the floodplain of the river in ’91 and started canoeing and exploring the big river down here. And then in ’98, started the Quapaw Canoe Company.”

Has anyone kayaked down the Mississippi river?

So he can paddle. I expected it to be difficult. And it has been difficult garwood is on a journey down the mississippi. River. That started five weeks ago in lake itasca.

How long does it take to kayak the Mississippi River
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Can you boat down the entire Mississippi River?

Just like there’s more than one way to skin a cat, traveling the entire length Mississippi River can be done in a number of fashions. Every year, in fact, hundreds of people “thru-boat” Old Man River in everything from handmade rafts to luxury yachts. No one way is better than another, but regardless of how you do it, the result is sure to be an experience you’ll never forget.

We recently caught up with three groups that conquered the mighty Mississippi in three very different ways last year — each facing its own challenges and rewards. Here are their stories.

This Old HouseboatTo Lisa Penn and John McCabe, Scott Bolster and Jody Vincent, Bill and Annette Hamilton, and Wyatt Gillespie and Sandy Biermann, buying a fixer-upper houseboat for a trip down the Mississippi and then selling it at the end sounded like a grand adventure. The couples from Iowa have been friends for years and had already taken some “non-standard” trips together (four-wheeling and zip-lining excursions, and exploring Mexico in rented Jeeps).

Can you kayak the entire length of the Mississippi river?

On average, 80 to 100 people every year kayak the entire Mississippi from source to sea. They start at Lake Itasca, and paddle through an ever growing river, dodging boats, barges and tugs. Typically, they start in May or early June, and finish in September or October. About 50–60% of them complete the journey.

Is it safe to canoe the Mississippi River
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Is it possible to canoe down the Mississippi river?

Below the last lock and dam in Granite City, Illinois, the Mississippi River flows dam-free to the Gulf of Mexico. The river is wide at this point and backwaters, sloughs and side channels are plentiful. Paddlers will find a lifetime of canoeing and kayaking along the Mississippi River in Kentucky,Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Plan your Great River Road paddling adventure today.

Mississippi River Canoe route
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How long would it take to boat down the Mississippi river?

It can take two weeks to go from Minnesota all the way down to Louisiana on the Mississippi River. American Queen Voyages does offer a 16-day cruise that starts in Minneapolis and ends in New Orleans.

What other activities can you do while visiting the Mississippi River?;

There are hundreds of things to do next to the ports of the Mississippi River. For example, you can visit the childhood home of infamous author Mark Twain in Hannibal, Missouri. Of course, there is the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, with its interactive exhibits. And you can learn about the music of the river at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Many American Queen Voyages’ tours visit these great places, and many more, on their Mississippi River cruise trips.

The best time to visit the Mississippi River for a cruise trip is during the spring and fall months. The Mississippi can get very hot during the summer, especially on the Lower Mississippi, and very cold in the winter, especially on the Upper Mississippi. If you visit in the spring or fall, you will experience the best weather possible. There can be some flooding issues in the spring, but your tour will know how to plan.

Canoeing the Mississippi River Minnesota
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How long does it take water to travel down the Mississippi river?

  • The Mississippi River is 2,340 miles long.
  • The Great River Road was created in 1938.
  • The Great River Road runs through about 110 counties and parishes.
  • In the year A.D. 1250, the ancient metropolis of Cahokia, Illinois, was home to more people than London.
  • Iowa’s 500-foot Pike’s Peak was named for Zebulon Pike, who explored the Upper Mississippi River in 1805.
  • Waterskiing was invented on Lake Pepin, located between Minnesota and Wisconsin.
  • It takes 90 days for a drop of water to travel the entire length of the Mississippi River.
  • The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, is 630 feet tall.
  • From its source in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River drops 1,475 feet.
  • The Mississippi River is home to 360 species of fish, 326 species of birds, 145 species of amphibians and 50 species of mammals.
  • The Mississippi River is the third largest watershed in the world.
  • The deepest place on the Mississippi River is 200-feet deep and is located near Algiers Point in New Orleans.
  • Tennessee boasts some of the finest and most famous whisky distilleries in the world.
  • Kentucky is widely renowned as the center of the time-honored art of distilling fine bourbon.
  • Mississippi’s catfish farms produce the majority of the nation’s farm-raised catfish.
  • Louisiana was named after the Fourteenth King of France.
  • Iowa is the birthplace of President Herbert Hoover.
  • Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state.
  • Illinois has the largest population of all the states located along the Mississippi River.

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Kayaking the Mississippi River
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How long does it take to kayak down the Mississippi river?

How long will it take? It took me 67 days, by myself, under what is probably fairly typical water conditions. Some people might want to take four months or more. Really fast people might be able to do it in less than two months. If you don’t know how fast of a paddler you are, I’d allow at least 3 months. The river’s speed depends a lot on water levels. You may find the current much faster or slower than I did. Your trip will likely NOT be the Huck Finn experience many envision, where you simply sit and watch the world go by. I paddled most of the day from before sunrise until just before sunset. Most folks will want more time off and shorter paddling days. On my trip, the current was perhaps 1.5 miles an hour, average, above St. Louis, and 3.5 mph from there to Baton Rouge. Below there, it slowed down somewhat again.

When should I start?Much will depend on your pacing. On my rather fast trip I started in mid-August and that was a good choice for me. The ice in northern Minnesota can melt very slowly and on some years may last well into May, so make sure you don’t start too early in the year. I’ve read at least two reports of people who started in September and they found it got too late in the year and too cold by the time they finished.

Can beginners do the Mississippi River?Good judgment is a must for doing the river regardless of skill level. Some boating and camping experience is necessary to do the river safely. You shouldn’t be learning how to paddle your canoe on the river, especially if you’re starting at Lake Itasca. On the other hand, you don’t need to be a whitewater paddling expert. You should know how to pick safe camp spots (anticipate rising water,) how to keep yourself and your gear dry, etc. So I would say that beginners probably shouldn’t tackle the river unless they are with more experienced people. On the other hand a level headed person who is merely competent in boating and camping should do fine.

Kayak Mississippi River Minneapolis
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

How long does it take to kayak down the Mississippi?

How long will it take? It took me 67 days, by myself, under what is probably fairly typical water conditions. Some people might want to take four months or more. Really fast people might be able to do it in less than two months. If you don’t know how fast of a paddler you are, I’d allow at least 3 months. The river’s speed depends a lot on water levels. You may find the current much faster or slower than I did. Your trip will likely NOT be the Huck Finn experience many envision, where you simply sit and watch the world go by. I paddled most of the day from before sunrise until just before sunset. Most folks will want more time off and shorter paddling days. On my trip, the current was perhaps 1.5 miles an hour, average, above St. Louis, and 3.5 mph from there to Baton Rouge. Below there, it slowed down somewhat again.

When should I start?Much will depend on your pacing. On my rather fast trip I started in mid-August and that was a good choice for me. The ice in northern Minnesota can melt very slowly and on some years may last well into May, so make sure you don’t start too early in the year. I’ve read at least two reports of people who started in September and they found it got too late in the year and too cold by the time they finished.

Can beginners do the Mississippi River?Good judgment is a must for doing the river regardless of skill level. Some boating and camping experience is necessary to do the river safely. You shouldn’t be learning how to paddle your canoe on the river, especially if you’re starting at Lake Itasca. On the other hand, you don’t need to be a whitewater paddling expert. You should know how to pick safe camp spots (anticipate rising water,) how to keep yourself and your gear dry, etc. So I would say that beginners probably shouldn’t tackle the river unless they are with more experienced people. On the other hand a level headed person who is merely competent in boating and camping should do fine.

What is the record for the Mississippi kayak?

2021: Team MMZero sets the new record They launched at the headwaters on April 22, 2021 and beat the 2003 record by 9 hours and 5 minutes, establishing the new record at 17 days, 19 hours and 46 minutes.

How long is the Mississippi River
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Has anyone ever floated the entire Mississippi River?

1872 First: Julius Chambers is noted as first person to document their travel down the entire Mississippi River. Chambers used a canoe to Quincy, IL, two steamboats to New Orleans, and an ocean liner to the Gulf as he continued to New York City.


📹 Headwaters of the Mississippi | Lake Itasca | Mississippi Source to Sea Paddle Ep 1


How Long To Canoe Kayak Down The Mississippi
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Debbie Green

I am a school teacher who was bitten by the travel bug many decades ago. My husband Billy has come along for the ride and now shares my dream to travel the world with our three children.The kids Pollyanna, 13, Cooper, 12 and Tommy 9 are in love with plane trips (thank goodness) and discovering new places, experiences and of course Disneyland.

About me

4 comments

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  • Wow, now we have watched the whole thing (twice) fantastic!! Thank you for bringing us along. Kinda reminds me of Bogie and Kate in the last third of The African Queen. Recommend skipping the makeshift torpedoes for the “boat” and installing a solar chargeable power bug fogger at next resupply stop. Well done sun pillar pic during opening. All The Best and Traveling Mercies. —Alan & Lea

  • Great to see you both back out there again, paddling and fighting the omnipresent ticks! Wow. Not sure I would like that part of the journey. But the early Mississippi looks fascinating and there are beavers, so . . . .Anyway, I’m along for the ride, sitting quietly in the middle of the canoe, not paddling, just observing and enjoying the repartee! Paddle on! Tortoise, with flotation device.

  • Love my Minnesota, but the bugs are why I do my outdoor recreating and living on the Left Coast. The worst of mosquitoes in the Sierra are nothing compared to MN! (And deerflies, horseflies, and so many ticks. And leeches?) I’m glad you made it an official start by walking across the Mississippi AND taking a photo by the sign. (And not to nitpick but you’re still pronouncing Itasca wrong (at least the 2 attempts I saw) lol, and I’ve never heard anyone use the French pronunciation of “portage” the way you do. I’m wondering if it’s pronounced differently in different parts of the country.) Thanks for taking us along with you!

  • Happy paddling… if that’s possible with all the critters wanting to bite you… No idea why someone would put a shelter in the middle of such an insane population of ticks. That’s an absolute nightmare. No idea how you got all of your gear cleaned and packed on the canoe the next day. The last thing you need is Lyme disease at the beginning of this long journey. Stay safe.