THE MISSOURI RIVER GREAT CIRCLE ROUTE

Highlights

• 707 mile Hike and Paddle starting in Kansas City, Missouri or St. Louis, Missouri
• This is a year round hike and paddle
• A truly unique aspect of the lower Missouri River is the synergy with the Katy Trail State Park. This hiking and biking trail runs besides the river for over 150 miles, and is the longest rail-to-trail system in America. Float the river in canoes and kayaks.
• You will hike/bicycle all 350 miles of the Katy Trail
• You will float 367 miles of the Missouri River
• Figure 30 days.
• Shorter routes are between Kansas City, Missouri and Booneville, Missouri or between St. Louis, Missouri and Booneville, Missouri.
• Paddle downstream or paddle upstream like Lewis and Clark expedition.

The Trails

1. Put in at Kaw Point Park
2. Paddle downstream to Booneville, Missouri or St. Charles, Missouri or down to the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Meramec River
3. Hike/Bicycle through St. Louis, Missouri, St. Charles, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri via St Louis Riverfront bicycle path and the Katy Trail
4. Or reverse the navigation of the route if desired.

This is a self outfitted float. The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are floatable year round. Never boat alone. A preferred minimum is three boats.

Most of the traffic you will see on the river is recreational. And most of this traffic will be fishermen. Watch out for their wakes. Keep your bow pointed into the oncoming wave and make sure your gear is secured and boat balanced. At night, be sure to have the required white navigation light clearly displayed. If you see a boat approaching at night, it wouldn't hurt to get the flashlights out and make sure they can see you. Also, you can use a whistle or an air horn to signal.

Tows and barges are also out on the river. The numbers are small, but a tow pushing barges will get your attention in a small boat. Please remember that a tow can be coming from upstream as well, so listen and check behind you from time to time. The tows use the navigation channel which is only about a third of the width of the river. There is plenty of room for everyone. When you see one coming, make a course for the non-channel side. Then, start to assess the size of his wake. A heavily laden barge being pushed upstream makes the biggest disturbance while a light barge going downstream makes almost no wake. Be prepared for the worst by moving off channel and looking for options in case of a large wake. Wing dikes can be excellent hiding places if the water gets too rough.

At night, tows and barges are easily visible as they scan the river with spotlights. In fact, at night you will have more warning of their approach because of these lights. Take care and steer clear.