You may find the current much faster or slower than I did. ![]() The river’s speed depends a lot on water levels. If you don’t know how fast of a paddler you are, I’d allow at least 3 months. Really fast people might be able to do it in less than two months. Some people might want to take four months or more. It took me 67 days, by myself, under what is probably fairly typical water conditions. The Mississippi River drains 41% of the continental United States. More than half of the total drop of the river occurs in Minnesota. (I found the river to be less than 6″ deep in places in that area.)ĭeepest point: about 200′ at New Orleans.Įlevation above sea level at Lake Itasca: 1,475 feet.Įlevation above sea level at the Gulf of Mexico: 0 feet. ![]() Shallowest point: just below Lake Itasca, less than 3′ deep. Widest point: about 4 miles at Lake Onalaska near LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Narrowest point: about 20 feet, just below Lake Itasca. River speed at New Orleans on was 3 miles an hour. Some facts collected on the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area page:Ī raindrop falling in Lake Itasca would arrive at the Gulf of Mexico in about 90 days.Īverage river speed at headwaters: 1.2 miles per hour. Nevertheless, the book is well worth it for the writing itself and his keen observations of the people along the river. If I were to do the river again I would plan on carrying a mapping GPS AND download maps to a smartphone and forgo the Corp of Engineers maps completely.Ī good source for information and other links is the Mississippi River Resource Page.Ī very well-written book on canoeing the Mississippi is “ Mississippi Solo.” The only disappointment is he skipped some sections of the river. ![]() You should be able to download and print maps from them if you like, although you might have to search around to actually find them. The Army Corps of Engineers has excellent navigational charts for the river from Minneapolis to Cairo and for the lower river below Cairo. The Minnesota DNR has lots of information about the upper river, including maps and other information. Please see the many questions and answers about my Mississippi River trip on my blog. I have information on Mississippi River mile markers and how long it took me to paddle from point to point here Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike Gear List.
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