Mississippi River Source to Sea!
Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico summer 2022
Welcome!
I am Jean-Canot (J-C), a Big River adventurer, and I will be using this space to document my journey from the source of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. It’s the largest river in North America by volume, and is approximately 2340 miles long! If you’d like to follow along, hit subscribe and you’ll get my updates during the trip sent to your email starting in July. You can also view everything from this website.
This post is all the information in one place before the trip, going forward on the trip each update will have its own post.
Details of the trip
What: I’ve often dreamed of paddling the entire Mississippi River from its source, Lake Itasca, to the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve seen and explored many parts of the river up and down, but want to connect the dots, from the water.
Who: I go by many names. My government name is Stephen, but on the River I go by Jean-Canot, or Canot for short, or J-C for shortest. That name has kind of spread outside of my river life too, and now most people call me that. Hailing from Minnesota, I have grown up with the Mississippi River in my backyard, and my life has been intertwined with it since then. I currently work as a Lower Mississippi River Guide for Quapaw Canoe Company, located in Clarksdale, MS.
When: I am starting my journey around July 10th, 2022. The end date is whenever I get there! See full itinerary below.
Why: I’ve often dreamed of paddling the entire Mississippi River from its source, Lake Itasca, to the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve seen and explored many parts of the river up and down, crossing it on bridges, via canoe, or by camping. This is my chance to connect the dots on all the places I’ve seen, on America’s River.
For me, the purpose is to explore the heart of the continent, test myself, bear witness to this iconic and historic place, and share my journeys and hopefully inspire others to get out there!
Itinerary
This is a tentative itinerary estimate. Obviously it’s impossible to plan a 3-4 month trip down to the day or even the week; things like weather, resupply, lock and dam delays could all get in the way. However here is a general timetable as to where I will be, and when! (All this assumes I will depart on July 10th.)
July 10 - Day 1: Lake Itasca
July 17 - Week 1 : Lake Winnibigoshish
July 24 - Week 2 : Big Sandy Lake
July 31 - Week 3 : Little Falls, MN
Aug 7 - Week 4 : Minneapolis (Things become a little more … imprecise from here, as I may wait hours for my turn to use the lock and dams. Very few have portage trails!)
Aug 14 - Week 5 : Lock 7 - La Crescent, MN
Aug 21 - Week 6 : Lock 13 - Clinton, IA
Aug 28 - Week 7 : Lock 20 - Canton, MO
Sep 4 - Week 8 : St. Louis
Sep 11 - Week 9 : New Madrid, MO
Sep 19 - Week 10 : Memphis, TN
Sep 26 - Week 11 : Arkansas River confluence
Oct 2 - Week 12 : Vicksburg, MS
Oct 9 - Week 13 : Baton Rouge
Oct 16 - Week 24 : New Orleans - The Gulf of Mexico
Why not join me for a spell?
My work is as a canoe guide and instructor, and I love share experiences on the water with others. Viewing nature, and being with nature from the vantage point of a small boat on a river is an uncommon, special and powerful experience. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, come join me for a spell, any experience level welcome!
Friends, family, river rats, all are welcome! (Must have a love for the outdoors and the Mississippi River!) Come for just a day, or camp under the stars on a sandbar! Simply respond to any email and we can set something up. Feel free to use your own boat if you have one, or join me in my spare seat! Do like Huck Finn and float down the largest river in North America!
Obligatory caveat is that I can’t do any of your ground logistics, and that I take no responsibility if anything happens on the River. You must provide your own shuttle, camping gear, food, etc. In other words, just show up using the updates from here and ready to paddle!
FAQS:
How long does it usually take to paddle the entire Mississippi? A typical length of time is about 3 months for most paddlers. I’m in no rush and will smell the roses and enjoy the ride.
Will you paddle every day? No, since I am solo paddling most of the time I will be forced to take breaks on extremely windy days. I am also going to smell the roses as I go, I’m not trying to break any speed records here.
Aren’t you afraid of the huge barges?! They are deserving of respect, but not fear. I have a VHF radio to communicate with them for any situation that may arise.
Do you have maps? Yes, for the Minnesota portion of the trip, I’ll be using maps by the MN DNR. This will get me from Lake Itasca to past Minneapolis. From there I will use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maps for the Upper Mississippi which will get me to Cairo, IL, then the Lower Mississippi which will get me to the Gulf of Mexico.
Will you camp the whole time? Most of it, certainly. There are established campsites by the MN DNR up through Minneapolis. Then after that it will be exclusively on sandbars!
Mississippi River Quick Facts
Water from 32 U.S. states as well as 2 Canadian Provinces flows down the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Mississippi River starts in Minnesota, and ends in Louisiana. Along the way it touches (in order) Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana.
The only two times it’s entirely within a single state is in Minnesota and Louisiana. Other than that it’s on the border between 2 states.
Approximately 1/3 of the Mississippi’s water gets diverted into the Atchafalaya River, and empties into the Gulf of Mexico 100 miles to the west.
May I paddle with you on Big Sandy Lake?
Godspeed!